Key Points

This research increases our understanding of how survival networks rooted in subcortical brain areas cause the body to automatically freeze in response to fear. When the cerebellum is functioning well, a momentary freeze response promotes survival. However, Paci et al. (2022) found that when cere...

Neuroscientists at the University of Bristol have discovered fear mechanisms rooted in the cerebellum that could lead to new anti-anxiety medications and treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder a.k.a PTSD (

Notably, when a rat's cerebellum was functioning properly, the freeze response was brief and didn't stop an animal in its tracks for too long.

However, Paci et al. (2022) found that when the cerebellum's ability to communicate with the PAG was blocked, freeze responses went into overdrive a...

In animal experiments using fear-conditioned rats, Paci et al. (2022) found that the cerebellum modulates how another brain area called the periaqueductal gray (PAG) triggers automatic defensive behaviors such as freezing in place during times of perceived danger.

The findings suggest that the cerebellum plays a crucial role in coordinating perfectly-timed behavioral responses to threatening stimuli. But cerebellar dysfunctions can cause havoc with perfectly-timed freeze responses. Without a well-functioning cerebellum, the freeze response lasts too long.

The cerebellum coordinates fluid motor movements in sports and daily life. It also coordinates our thoughts, as well as coordinating our movements. As part of a survival network, it facilitates gracefully taking flight, fighting it out with well-coordinated muscle movements, or freezing in place ...