# Fear and anxiety circuit mechanisms in anterior hypothalamic nucleus

> **NIH NIH R56** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2024 · $662,641

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Acute severe stress plays a pivotal role in shaping mental health, predisposing individuals to an array of
debilitating conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders. These conditions are
difficult to treat and available pharmaceuticals are of limited efficacy. There is therefore a great need to
discover novel treatments. Understanding how the brain processes the valence (i.e., magnitude) of stressful
experiences is critical for identifying new biological points of intervention. This is because the valence of
stressful events strongly influences their lasting consequences on disease-related behavior. Here, we propose
to explore the contribution of the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN) – a brain region that has previously
received little attention – to the perceived valence and lasting impacts of stressful experiences.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10820564
- **Project number:** 5R56MH132959-02
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Denise Jade Cai
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $662,641
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-04 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10820564

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10820564, Fear and anxiety circuit mechanisms in anterior hypothalamic nucleus (5R56MH132959-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10820564. Licensed CC0.

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