Study reveals how alcohol addiction and childhood stress rewire fear responses

NCT ID NCT02438969

First seen Nov 20, 2025 · Last updated May 20, 2026 · Updated 28 times

Summary

This study looked at whether people with alcohol dependence and/or early life stress have a harder time learning to feel calm after a scary experience. Researchers used brain scans and mild electric shocks to measure fear responses in 96 adults. The goal was to understand how genetics and life experiences change the brain's fear and extinction circuits, not to test a treatment.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Conditions

Explore the condition pages connected to this study.