Fearpotentiated

Fearpotentiated is an adjective describing the amplification of a response that occurs in the presence of fear. In psychology and neuroscience, it is most commonly used to refer to fear-potentiated startle (FPS), a well-established paradigm in which a fear-conditioned context enhances the magnitude of an involuntary reflex.

In FPS experiments, a neutral stimulus (a conditioned stimulus, CS) is paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US), so that the CS later evokes fear or heightened arousal. When a sudden startle probe (such as a loud noise) is presented during the CS, the resulting eyeblink reflex, autonomic arousal, or other reflexive responses are amplified relative to baseline or to responses during safety cues. The amygdala and related circuits are central to this potentiation, with the central nucleus contributing to immediate fear responses and other structures supporting contextual or sustained fear.

FPS measures are widely used to study anxiety disorders, PTSD, and the effects of pharmacological agents on fear and anxiety. Benzodiazepines, for example, typically reduce fear-potentiated startle, whereas certain substances or conditions may enhance it. Researchers distinguish phasic fear, which is time-locked to a specific cue, from sustained anxiety, which is more context-dependent and diffuse; FPS is typically considered a phasic response.

Limitations include variability due to individual differences in trait anxiety, attention, and arousal, as well as concerns about ecological validity. Despite these caveats, fearpotentiated phenomena remain a central tool for probing the neural and pharmacological underpinnings of fear and anxiety in humans and animals. See also startle reflex, conditioned fear, amygdala, and fear conditioning.