Cargando…

Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety

In this review, we discuss the usefulness of the distinction between fear and anxiety. The clinical use of the labels is ambiguous, often defining one in terms of the other. We first consider what a useful, objective, and scientifically valid definition would entail and then evaluate several fear/an...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Perusini, Jennifer N., Fanselow, Michael S.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4561408/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26286652
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/lm.039180.115
_version_ 1782389030895222784
author Perusini, Jennifer N.
Fanselow, Michael S.
author_facet Perusini, Jennifer N.
Fanselow, Michael S.
author_sort Perusini, Jennifer N.
collection PubMed
description In this review, we discuss the usefulness of the distinction between fear and anxiety. The clinical use of the labels is ambiguous, often defining one in terms of the other. We first consider what a useful, objective, and scientifically valid definition would entail and then evaluate several fear/anxiety distinctions that have been made in the neurobiological literature. A strong distinction should specify the difference in conditions that lead to fear versus anxiety. Additionally, fear and anxiety should generate distinct sets of behaviors. Ideally, the two states should be supported by distinguishable neuroanatomical circuits. Such a conceptualization would be consistent with the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoc). The majority of neurobiological approaches to the fear versus anxiety distinction fail to differentiate the two states in terms of behavior, often using the exact same behavioral measures as indicators. Of the two that do, only Predatory Imminence Theory provides a distinction both in terms of cause and effect. Indeed, that approach provides a ready distinction of anxiety, fear, and panic in terms of both antecedent conditions and response selection rules. Additionally, it appeals to distinct neural circuits to generate these modes of action.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-4561408
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2015
publisher Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-45614082016-09-01 Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety Perusini, Jennifer N. Fanselow, Michael S. Learn Mem Review In this review, we discuss the usefulness of the distinction between fear and anxiety. The clinical use of the labels is ambiguous, often defining one in terms of the other. We first consider what a useful, objective, and scientifically valid definition would entail and then evaluate several fear/anxiety distinctions that have been made in the neurobiological literature. A strong distinction should specify the difference in conditions that lead to fear versus anxiety. Additionally, fear and anxiety should generate distinct sets of behaviors. Ideally, the two states should be supported by distinguishable neuroanatomical circuits. Such a conceptualization would be consistent with the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoc). The majority of neurobiological approaches to the fear versus anxiety distinction fail to differentiate the two states in terms of behavior, often using the exact same behavioral measures as indicators. Of the two that do, only Predatory Imminence Theory provides a distinction both in terms of cause and effect. Indeed, that approach provides a ready distinction of anxiety, fear, and panic in terms of both antecedent conditions and response selection rules. Additionally, it appeals to distinct neural circuits to generate these modes of action. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 2015-09 /pmc/articles/PMC4561408/ /pubmed/26286652 http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/lm.039180.115 Text en © 2015 Perusini and Fanselow; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This article is distributed exclusively by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the first 12 months after the full-issue publication date (see http://learnmem.cshlp.org/site/misc/terms.xhtml). After 12 months, it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International), as described at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
spellingShingle Review
Perusini, Jennifer N.
Fanselow, Michael S.
Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety
title Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety
title_full Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety
title_fullStr Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety
title_full_unstemmed Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety
title_short Neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety
title_sort neurobehavioral perspectives on the distinction between fear and anxiety
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4561408/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26286652
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/lm.039180.115
work_keys_str_mv AT perusinijennifern neurobehavioralperspectivesonthedistinctionbetweenfearandanxiety
AT fanselowmichaels neurobehavioralperspectivesonthedistinctionbetweenfearandanxiety