Fear can cause, even in people whose brains are deprived of the ability to experience it

The amygdala in the brain called the "center of fear", as it is responsible for the regulation of fear as a characteristic response. Therefore, if this small area of ​​the brain, for whatever reason, is damaged (for example, due to illness Urbach-Vite), the feeling of fear or panic hardly seen - even in extreme, potentially life-threatening situations. However, recent studies show that the brain has other ways to start the mechanism of fear, even in people whose brain is deprived of the ability to experience it.

The object of research was the 44-year-old woman with an extremely rare genetic disorder - the aforementioned disease Urbach-Vite, in which the amygdala hardens and dries. As a result of a number of tests, this woman showed only minimal signs of fear when watching horror movies or in interaction with snakes and spiders, or other things, recognized the terrible lot of people.

One of the situations where an active amygdala triggers fear and panic - an excess of carbon dioxide (a possible sign of suffocation) by detecting increased acidity in the blood. The reaction may occur even if CO2 is inhaled small unconcentrated, non-fatal portions. It was assumed that a patient with the disease Urbach-Vite will have no fear in this case.

To test this, the researchers asked her, and 12 healthy people inhale 35% of carbon dioxide through the mask. It was found that patients with sick amygdala immediately after inhalation experienced even more panic and fear than volunteers without the genetic abnormalities.

via factroom.ru