Citation

Matsuda S. Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2022; 157(6): 435-439.

Vernacular Title

恐怖消去の性差研究について

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Nihon Yakuri Gakkai Henshubu)

DOI

10.1254/fpj.22054

PMID

36328556

Abstract

Fear memory has an important role in survival, but excess fear memory could be cause to fear-related disorders such as post traumatic disorder (PTSD). People who undergo a fearful event do not always develop PTSD, suggesting that there are vulnerable factors to develop the disorder. It is believed that sex, in particular female, is one of the factors as it is known that the prevalence rate of PTSD is higher in women than in men. However, the biological mechanisms underlying the sex differences in their prevalence rate remain unclear. Because previous studies reported that patients with fear-related disorders show an impairment of fear extinction, investigation of sex differences in fear extinction may be useful for understanding the greater vulnerability of women to fear-related disorders. Although number of papers investigating sex differences in fear extinction, these reports have increased recently. This review introduces fear extinction, sex differences in fear extinction is low, and the molecular mechanisms of sex differences in fear extinction. In the molecular mechanisms, we focused brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor signal which has been investigated by independent research groups.

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恐怖記憶は生存に重要な役割を果たすが，過度な恐怖記憶は心的外傷後ストレス障害（PTSD）などの恐怖記憶と関連のある精神疾患の発症に繋がる．恐怖体験をした者が必ずしもPTSDを発症するわけではなく，そこには脆弱性因子が存在する．脆弱性因子の一つとして性別が考えられており，恐怖関連疾患の有病率は女性のほうが高いことが知られている．しかし，その性差の背景に潜む生物学的要因は明らかにされていない．これまで恐怖関連疾患では恐怖消去が障害されていることが報告されているため，恐怖消去の性差を調べることで恐怖関連疾患の有病率の性差の要因解明に繋がることが期待される．恐怖消去の性差に関する論文数はまだ少ないものの，近年増加傾向にある．本稿では初めに恐怖消去について概説し，その後，恐怖消去の性差研究について，性差の有無を調べた研究，分子機構を調べた研究，特に，分子機構については，複数の研究グループが性差を報告している脳由来神経栄養因子（BDNF）－トロポミオシン関連キナーゼB（TrkB）受容体シグナルを中心に紹介する．

Language: ja