Nina Levar

The Impact of Individual GABA variability on the Amygdala and Fear Learning

Impaired fear learning and fear extinction mechanisms play a critical role in the vulnerability and development of mood and anxiety disorders. Large interindividual differences in amygdala responsivity have been proposed to underlie the observed variability in fear responses in humans. Recent animal studies highlight the regulatory control of GABAergic interneurons on amygdala functioning and, thus, suggest a key role of the GABAergic system in the regulation of fear in humans. Combining several neuroimaging techniques and psychophysiological measures, we aim to assess the impact of individual GABA concentrations in the amygdala on neural and behavioral fear correlates using a classical fear conditioning and extinction paradigm.