End Fear

Japan (ChattahBox) – Japanese researchers claim they have found a way of eliminating fear in a patient using a simple injection.

University of Hiroshima researchers say that early studies on goldfish have shown the injected drug’s ability to block the fear response in the brain.

According to Professor Masayuki Yoshida, who led the research, the findings could prove extremely beneficial for the world of mental health treatment.

“One day, our irrational phobias could become a thing of the past. Imagine if your fear of spiders, heights or flying could be cured with a simple injection – our research suggests that one day this could be a reality.”

The study was conducted by training a group of fish to expect an electric shock every time a light flashed.

Each time the light hit the tank, monitors registered a slowing of the fish’s heart rates, a classic sign of fear in goldfish.

Once they registered this consistently, then administered the drug.

“We discovered that fish that had first been injected in the cerebellum with lidocaine had stable heart rates and showed no fear when the light was shone they were unable to learn to become afraid,” Yoshida explained.

The study has been published in BioMed Central’s Behavioural and Brain Functions.
New Injection Could End Fear | ChattahBox News Blog