A new study from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Tokyo reveals how the brain builds complex emotional memories, moving beyond the idea that only the amygdala drives fear. The research shows that the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) plays a crucial role in linking seemingly unrelated experiences through emotion. These insights could inform therapies for anxiety, trauma, and related disorders, offering fresh directions for Thai mental health practice.
In the study, researchers used rats to model human-like emotional learning. One group learned a visual image paired with a sound, while another group experienced them separately. After a mild shock was introduced when the image appeared, only the paired rats showed fear when they later heard the sound. This demonstrated that inferred emotional links can transfer fear from one cue to another, a process previously thought to be rare outside simple fear learning.
Advanced calcium imaging tracked brain activity during learning. The amygdala governed basic fear learning (such as image-to-shock associations). But when fear extended to a related cue, the dmPFC became essential, acting as the manager that connects disparate experiences through emotion. When researchers disrupted the dmPFC–amygdala connection, animals no longer feared the indirectly linked sound, though they still feared the direct image. This confirms that higher-order emotional memory relies on dmPFC activity.
For Thai audiences, the study’s implications are meaningful. Thai students face exam stress, family expectations, and online pressures that can trigger complex anxiety. The findings suggest that therapies targeting the dmPFC–emotional-memory network could reduce maladaptive fear without erasing core memories, aligning with mindfulness and acceptance approaches widely practiced in Thailand. Data from national mental health programs indicates rising anxiety and trauma-related concerns, underscoring the potential relevance of these neural insights for local treatment strategies.
Thai culture emphasizes social harmony and community support, which can influence how people process trauma. The brain’s ability to form interconnected emotional memories supports holistic care models—counseling, mindfulness-based interventions, and school- and community-based resilience programs—that resonate with local values. In practice, clinicians might consider therapies that strengthen healthy emotional processing while respecting Buddhist perspectives on mindfulness and compassionate care.
Open questions remain. Human experiences are far more complex than rodent models, with city life, traffic stress, and personal losses layering emotions in multifaceted ways. Future work aims to map how the brain binds sounds, sights, and smells into cohesive emotional memories, with the aim of developing targeted therapies. For Thailand, this could enhance public mental health services, school resilience programs, and community retreats that support healing and prevent trauma from becoming chronic.
In short, the RIKEN findings advance our understanding of how emotional memories are constructed in the brain and highlight new avenues for treatment. For Thai readers, practical steps include seeking professional help if persistent fears disrupt daily life, engaging with accessible mental health resources, and exploring culturally sensitive approaches such as mindfulness and community-based support to reframe difficult memories. Ongoing neuroscience research holds promise for more effective, culturally attuned interventions that strengthen resilience for families across Thailand.