Fear in Mind: Coping Mechanism Identified in New Brain Region

Scientists at Texas A&M University have identified a region in the brain that is involved in inhibiting fear, and which could feasibly lead to new therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Studies in rats by Stephen Maren, Ph.D., and colleagues have found that a small region of the thalamus known as the nucleus reuniens (RE) plays a key role in suppressing fear responses. Previous work had indicated that this part of the brain