Fear Conditioning and Virtual Reality

  

                                                        Fear Conditioning and Virtual Reality 

Rathna Kalluri 

Website URL: https://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/mental-health/2021/virtual-reality-is-creating-a-safe-space-to-face-your-fears-with-some-caveats-031621

Stephanie L. Grella’s research article, “Reactivating hippocampal-mediated memories during reconsolidating to disrupt fear” details the study she performed on mice related to the processing of fear. In this study, Grella tests a potential method to treat fears and phobias through memory reconsolidating. This is a method that involves reconditioning memories that were previously associated with fearful reactions to more positive conditions, thus “updating” the memory so that it is no longer associated with fear. To test this theory, Grella and her team used the Tet-tag system in order to identify and distinguish the positive, negative, and neutral memories and the neurons that are activated when those are experienced within mice. The memories were then artificially reactivated, and a positive memory is optically simulated while the negative neuron is active. This study showed that positive interference during reactivation of a fearful memory can disrupt the level of fear felt and help reduce the amount of fear that a person is capable of feeling. This is a method of treatment that could be incredibly impactful in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and even PTSD. 

Another article that I found that also discusses methods of fear conditioning is one that was published on March 16, 2021 by Hannah Thomasy. This article, entitled “Virtual Reality is Creating a Safe Space to Face Your Fears, With some Caveats”, discusses VR and its abilities to help people with fears and anxieties face their fears. VR therapy is said to improve various phobias, and has potential positive effects with regards to the treatment of PTSD as well. The article describes how virtual reality could be a more inexpensive way to treat fears and phobias. This article was connected to Grella’s research article in my opinion because it made me think of ways to potentially unite the two treatment methods. I feel like finding a way to combing the two therapies could be a way to provide someone with a more comprehensive way to tackle fears and anxiety.  This combination of treatments could also be used to treat more complex disorders that are associated with anxiety, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Works Cited 

Grella, Stephanie L., et al. “Reactivating Hippocampal-Mediated Memories during Reconsolidation to Disrupt Fear.” Nature Communications, vol. 13, no. 1, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32246-8. 

Thomasy, Hannah. “Virtual Reality Is Creating a Safe Space to Face Your Fears, with Some Caveats.” BrainFacts.org, https://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/mental-health/2021/virtual-reality-is-creating-a-safe-space-to-face-your-fears-with-some-caveats-031621.