Dopamine Fear Extinction Simulator

Experimental Presets

Threat (Fear) Pathway Extinction Pathway Dopamine Projection (VTA)

Manual Stimulus Trigger

Dopamine Burst Parameters

Dopamine Intensity: 0.90 µM

Burst Timing Delay: 120 ms

Live Synaptic Plasticity Metrics

Threat Pathway Weight (w_threat): 0.42

Extinction Pathway Weight (w_ext): 0.78

Conditioned Fear Response

P(Freezing | Tone CS)

0.35

Rate Change: -0.50

Extinction Dynamics Log

2 Trials Executed

Mechanism (Hokkaido University Discovery)

Traditional fear extinction relies on repeated presentation of a Conditioned Stimulus (CS: Tone) without the Aversive Unconditioned Stimulus (US: Air-puff), which leads to slow, partial suppression.

As confirmed in mouse models by Hokkaido University researchers, pairing the aversive stimulus with a positive reward (water pulse) triggers a transient dopamine burst from Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) projections into the amygdala and striatum.

This high dopamine flux actively rewires fear memories by depressing threat pathway synapses (LTD) while potentiating extinction inhibitory connections (LTP), accelerating fear resolution.