Wen Li of FSU has discovered that the sensory cortex of the human brain stores fear-based threat memories. The amygdala was previously thought to be the home of fear in the brain. The findings could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for fear disorders.

"This work fills a critical gap in the literature by revealing a new pathway to fear and fear memory," Li said. "The findings can lead to a critical paradigm shift in how we conceive and end up treating fear disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety."