The BDNF system as mediator for stress impaired fear acquisition, extinction and late fear (B08*)

• Subject Area: Biological Psychiatry
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 44541416

Stress, but also genetic markers like brain-derived neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) polymorphisms, as well as personality traits have a crucial role in coping long term fear memory. How these factors interact is still unknown. Hence, in this project we want to combine these aspects to identify the role of the BDNF system during stress-impaired fear extinction and late fear on neuronal and behavioural level in mice and humans. The combination of mice-human studies may provide the critical bridge between genetic-synaptic investigations in animals and genetic-behavioural investigations in humans shedding light on clinical-relevant mechanisms.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 58: Fear, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders
• Applicant Institution: Universität Münster
• Co-Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Project Heads: Privatdozentin Dr. Marta Andreatta; Dr. Maren Denise Lange