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Amygdala-Prefrontal in Fear Extinction

Causal Dynamics of Human Amygdala-Prefrontal Circuits During Fear Extinction Learning

Who can join

Ages 18 and older · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

1. At least 18 years of age.
2. Able to understand the nature of the task.
3. Able to provide informed consent themselves or provide consent through their legally authorized representative.
4. Undergoing clinically indicated intracranial electrode implantation with coverage of at least one fear-related brain region, including the amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate cortex, insula, or prefrontal cortex.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Under the age of 18.
2. Unable to understand the nature of the task.
3. Unable to provide informed consent themselves or provide consent through their legally authorized representative.
4. No clinically indicated intracranial electrode coverage in any fear-related brain region, including the amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate cortex, insula, or prefrontal cortex

About the study

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand how brain circuits involving the amygdala and prefrontal cortex contribute to fear learning and extinction. Fear extinction is the process by which a fear response decreases when a threat is no longer present. The study will include participants with epilepsy who are undergoing stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) monitoring as part of their clinical care. The main questions this study aims to answer are: How do the amygdala and prefrontal cortex interact during fear learning and extinction? Do different parts and hemispheres of the amygdala have different roles in fear learning and extinction? How does electrical stimulation of the amygdala affect these brain circuits and fear extinction? Participants will complete tasks involving fear learning and extinction while researchers record brain activity from clinically implanted electrodes. Researchers will also use electrical stimulation via these electrodes to study how amygdala activity affects other brain regions and fear extinction.

What is being tested

• Direct intracranial electrical stimulation (other)
• Fear conditioning (behavioral)

Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine · Participants: 40 · Started: Sep 15, 2026

Contact the study team

• Tao Xie, PhD · Phone: 314-747-1443
• Peter Brunner, PhD · Phone: 314-747-1443

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07800455

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 2, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.