Woman who cannot feel fear may help in treating PTSD

Being threatened with a knife and held at gunpoint did not frighten her. Neither horror films nor haunted houses scare her. She handles dangerous snakes without concern, and had to be restrained from reaching out to touch a tarantula, because she was overcome with curiosity. She has experienced fear as a child and knows that she should be afraid, but simply is not. She is the first known case of someone who is unable to process fear. Researcher Justin Feinstein at the University of Iowa said “Because she is missing her amygdala, she is also missing the ability to detect and avoid danger in the world […] It is quite remarkable that she is still alive.” The researchers hope that by studying the woman they can learn more about how the brain processes fear, which might prove useful in treating patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, whose lives, according to Feinstein, are “marred by fear and they are often-times unable to even leave their home due to the ever-present feeling of danger.” By studying this unique subject, researchers hope to develop therapies that selectively target the brain areas that can sometimes allow fear to take over.