Amygdala-Prefrontal in Fear Extinction

Conditions

• Fear Extinction

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Direct intracranial electrical stimulation — OTHER
  During a resting state and extinction learning phase, participants will receive electrical stimulation (single-pulse and/or high-frequency stimulation) through the intracranial electrodes while recording local field potentials from the neural networks. Direct electrical stimulation will be accomplished using FDA-approved equipment and stimulation protocols that are consistent with those used routinely for clinical purposes.
• Fear conditioning — BEHAVIORAL
  Participants will be involved in a Pavlovian fear conditioning/extinction experiment while recording local field potential signals from the neural networks. During the experiment, neutral stimuli will be paired with an aversive but not painful electric shock (via the surface skin of the hand/foot) or screeching sound.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand how brain circuits involving the amygdala and prefrontal cortex contribute to fear learning and extinction. Fear extinction is the process by which a fear response decreases when a threat is no longer present. The study will include participants with epilepsy who are undergoing stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) monitoring as part of their clinical care. The main questions this study aims to answer are: How do the amygdala and prefrontal cortex interact during fear learning and extinction? Do different parts and hemispheres of the amygdala have different roles in fear learning and extinction? How does electrical stimulation of the amygdala affect these brain circuits and fear extinction? Participants will complete tasks involving fear learning and extinction while researchers record brain activity from clinically implanted electrodes. Researchers will also use electrical stimulation via these electrodes to study how amygdala activity affects other brain regions and fear extinction.

Key Dates

First listed

Sep 2, 2026

Start date

Sep 15, 2026

Status verified

Aug 2026

Primary completion

Jul 31, 2031

Completion

Jul 31, 2032

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

• Experimental: Amygdala-prefrontal in Fear Extinction
  Participants will undergo direct intracranial electrical stimulation and complete a Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction task while neural activity is recorded through clinically implanted stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) electrodes. Electrical stimulation, including single-pulse and/or high-frequency stimulation, will be delivered through the intracranial electrodes to investigate amygdala-prefrontal circuit dynamics. Participants may also receive theta-burst stimulation of the amygdala during extinction learning.

Primary Outcome Measure

Broadband high-frequency power (70-170 Hz) in amygdala-prefrontal circuits [ Time Frame: During research sessions, up to 2 hours per day for up to 4 days during the participant's hospital stay. ]

Central Contacts

• Tao Xie, PhD
  314-747-1443
  [email protected]
• Peter Brunner, PhD
  314-747-1443
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in St Louis, MO

Related Studies

• Using Exercise to Enhance Fear Extinction Learning
  Recruiting · Josh Cisler · Austin, Texas