How do females overcome fear? New insights from the maternal brain

该项目旨在确定恐惧调节机制如何作为怀孕的功能发生变化，这是一种女性特有的生物事件，导致与恐惧相关的大脑区域发生深刻而持久的变化。该项目的结果将通过产生针对女性生殖状态的恐惧调节的新知识，大大推进当前以男性为基础的恐惧调节理论。这与国际上关于缩小妇女基本进程知识差距的优先呼吁是一致的。这一新知识将为改善妇女焦虑症的治疗提供基础，妇女患焦虑症的可能性是男性的两倍，特别是在围产期。

This project aims to identify how the mechanisms underlying fear regulation shift as a function of pregnancy, a female-unique biological event that leads to profound and enduring changes within fear-relevant brain regions. The outcomes of this project will substantially advance current, male-based theories of fear regulation by generating new knowledge on fear regulation in females that is tailored to their reproductive status. This aligns with international priority calls to close the knowledge gap on fundamental processes in females. This new knowledge will provide a foundation to improve treatments for anxiety disorders in women, who are twice more prone to such conditions than men, particularly during the peripartum period.