Citation

Silva BA, Mattucci C, Krzywkowski P, Murana E, Illarionova A, Grinevich V, Canteras NS, Ragozzino D, Gross CT. Nat. Neurosci. 2013; 16(12): 1731-1733.

Affiliation

Mouse Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Monterotondo, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1038/nn.3573

PMID

24212674

Abstract

The neural circuits mediating fear to naturalistic threats are poorly understood. We found that functionally independent populations of neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), a region that has been implicated in feeding, sex and aggression, are essential for predator and social fear in mice. Our results establish a critical role for VMH in fear and have implications for selective intervention in pathological fear in humans.

Language: en