A study published in a recent issue of Psychological Science has helped shed some light on the genetic underpinnings of the human fear response. Participants in an experiment were trained to fear an image when it appeared on a monitor by administering an electric shock, and researchers measured the participants ability to "unlearn" their fear by showing them the same image the following day, but omitting the shocks and seeing how the subjects reacted. The results showed that those who have a polymorphism coding for a short version of the enzyme COMT--which facilitates the breakdown of dopamine--are much more susceptible to neurotic behavior and anxiety disorders.
This is a great article because it shows how the popular assumption that one's response to fearful stimuli is a learned behavior may be wrong, and the study points the way towards eventually crafting different medications for people with specific genetic profiles.
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