The Nature and Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety: State of the Science and Opportunities for Accelerating Discovery
Shannon E. Grogans, Eliza Bliss‐Moreau, Kristin A. Buss, Lee Anna Clark, Andrew S. Fox, Dacher Keltner, Alan Cowen, Jeansok J. Kim, Philip A. Kragel, Colin MacLeod, Dean Mobbs, Kristin Naragon‐Gainey, Miquel À. Fullana, Alexander J. Shackman
Abstract
Fear and anxiety play a central role in the lives of humans and other animals, and there is considerable interest in clarifying their nature, identifying their biological underpinnings, and determining their consequences for health and disease. Although important strides have been made over the past half-century, it has become clear that our understanding remains far from complete. Here we provide a roundtable discussion on the nature and biological bases of fear- and anxiety-related states, traits, and psychiatric disorders. The discussants include scientists familiar with a wide variety of human and animal populations and a broad spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical science methods. The goal of the roundtable was to take stock of the state of the science—both basic and clinical—and provide a general roadmap to the next generation of fear and anxiety research. Much of the discussion centered on the major gaps and challenges facing the field, the most important avenues for future theoretical and empirical work, and emerging opportunities for accelerating discovery, with implications for scientists, trainees, funders, and other stakeholders. Understanding fear and anxiety is a matter of practical as well as theoretical importance. Anxiety disorders are a leading burden on global public health and existing treatments are far from consistently curative, underscoring the urgency of developing a deeper understanding of the factors governing threat-related emotions, and the myriad ways in which they influence the way we think, feel, and behave.