Special issue on the effect of fear and stress on memory

The editors of Learning & Memory are pleased to bring you this special issue covering the effect of fear and stress on learning and memory. Fear and stress have a dramatic ability to affect learning, memory, and extinction processes in the brain. Memory of fearful events is often more robust than for neutral events and this is in part mediated by the release of stress-related hormones. Stress-related enhancement of learning can be adaptive in certain situations, however, under other circumstances it can result in unwanted consequences. For example, experiencing fearful/stressful events is a clear factor in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder and is thought to be a risk factor in the development of phobias and other anxiety disorders. This special issue brings together 13 research and review articles from leaders in the field and covers the topic from behavioral, circuits, and molecular approaches. We believe this issue represents an important contribution to the field and it will be featured at the annual meeting of the Pavlovian Society in Philadelphia, the 16th Annual Meeting of the Molecular and Cellular Cognition Society, and the 47th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, DC.