Citation

Rosen JB, Schulkin J. Front. Syst. Neurosci. 2022; 16: e727054.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fnsys.2022.727054

PMID

35993088

PMCID

PMC9387392

Abstract

Hyperexcitability in fear circuits is suggested to be important for development of pathological anxiety and trauma from adaptive mechanisms of fear. Hyperexcitability is proposed to be due to acquired sensitization in fear circuits that progressively becomes more severe over time causing changing symptoms in early and late pathology. We use the metaphor and mechanisms of kindling to examine gains and losses in function of one excitatory and one inhibitory neuropeptide, corticotrophin releasing factor and somatostatin, respectively, to explore this sensitization hypothesis. We suggest amygdala kindling induced hyperexcitability, hyper-inhibition and loss of inhibition provide clues to mechanisms for hyperexcitability and progressive changes in function initiated by stress and trauma.

Language: en

Keywords

PTSD; anxiety; CRF; fear; hyperexcitability; neural circuitry; somatostatin; threat