Neuroscientists Find a New Cell Type in the Hippocampus which Governs Anxious Behaviors

Avoidance is an adaptive response to threat, allowing animals to stay away from dangerous situations, once we learn what they are. While avoidance is often critical for survival, it can backfire as a defensive response when it leads us to avoid situations which are useful and do not post an actual threat. This can be seen clinically in people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD), where people fail to engage when it would be helpful to do so.