Why are we afraid of the dark?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-06-17 14:00

Australia; VIC

Melanie Wasser

A section of the brain used for processing emotions could be the reason we're afraid of the dark, according to a Monash study. The amygdala is a collection of brain cells that plays a role in regulating emotion and fear. Researchers scanned the brain activity of 24 people as they were exposed to light and dark, and found light suppresses activity in the amygdala and allows for greater connection to another section of the brain that assists in regulating and expressing fear.

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Journal/
conference: PLOS One

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Organisation/s: Monash University, Australian Catholic University

Funder: This work was funded by a Turner Institute Strategic Project Grant awarded to SWC, SDJ, EMM and AJKP and a Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences Platform Access Grant awarded to SWC and GRP. GRP is supported by an ACURF Program Grant. SDJ is supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowship (APP1174164). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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