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The neural circuits of innate fear: detection, integration, action, and memorization

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Silva, Bianca A., Gross, Cornelius T., Gräff, Johannes·2016·Learning & Memory
DOI 10.1101/lm.042812.116PMC PMC5026211
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Abstract

How fear is represented in the brain has generated a lot of research attention, not only because fear increases the chances for survival when appropriately expressed but also because it can lead to anxiety and stress-related disorders when inadequately processed. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the understanding of the neural circuits processing innate fear in rodents. We propose that these circuits are contained within three main functional units in the brain: a detection unit, responsible for gathering sensory information signaling the presence of a threat; an integration unit, responsible for incorporating the various sensory information and recruiting downstream effectors; and an output unit, in charge of initiating appropriate bodily and behavioral responses to the threatful stimulus. In parallel, the experience of innate fear also instructs a learning process leading to the memorization of the fearful event. Interestingly, while the detection, integration, and output units processing acute fear responses to different threats tend to be harbored in distinct brain circuits, memory encoding of these threats seems to rely on a shared learning system.

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  • Fear and anxiety are essential emotions that aid in the survival of species such as mice living under constant threat from predators in the wild.

    “Fear and anxiety are essential emotions that aid in the survival of species such as mice living under constant threat from predators in the wild [56].”

    From The protective PLCγ2-P522R variant mitigates Alzheimer’s disease-associated pathologies by enhancing beneficial microglial functions (2025) · cites this paper as [56]

    The Abstract (page unavailable) says fear-related defensive responses are necessary for survival and can be triggered by predators; the Detection unit discusses predator threats to rodents. The paper does not establish the same survival claim for anxiety or say that wild mice live under constant predator threat. It also cautions that whether other species experience fear as a human-like emotion is unclear. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Silva, B. A., Gross, C. T., & Gräff, J.
Affiliations
  • École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
  • European Molecular Biology Laboratory (IT)
Corresponding author
Gräff, Johannes
ORCID
Venue
Learning & Memory
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Published
2016-09-15
Volume
23
Issue
10
Pages
544-555
ISSN
  • 1072-0502 (ISSN-L)
  • 1549-5485
DOI
10.1101/lm.042812.116
PMC
PMC5026211
OpenAlex
W2520811319
Cited by
186
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 4
Type
posted content
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Learning & Memory (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
  • Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • ALTF (1605-2014)
  • Marie Curie Actions (LTFCOFUND2013, GA-2013-609409)
  • EMBL and European Research Council (ERC-2013-ADG 341139)
  • ERC (ERC-2015-StG 678832)
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Competence Center for Research SYNAPSY
  • SYNAPSIS Foundation
  • Béatrice Ederer-Weber Stiftung
  • Alzheimer's Association
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
Keywords
innate fear, neural circuits, threat detection, sensory integration, fear response, fear memory, fear conditioning, anxiety disorders, stress-related disorders, rodents
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Fear, Humans, Memory, Motor Activity, Neural Pathways, Rodentia

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