Controlled fear can temporarily alter brain function associated with depression, PsyPost writes.
The study showed that watching horror films is associated with temporary changes in the activity of brain networks characteristic of depression. People with moderate depressive symptoms may need a stronger fear to get maximum pleasure, which shows an interesting relationship between fear, pleasure, and emotional control.
In addition, the researchers found that these changes in the brain are directly related to the participants' emotions. A significant decrease in the association between the passive brain functional network and the significance network was associated with high grades of pleasure. Similarly, stronger activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex during the experience of fear was associated with positive feelings after the experience.
These results suggest that the controlled experience of fear may have triggered the brain's emotional control systems, distracting it for a moment from the patterns associated with rumination.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
