New artificial intelligence technique could erase fear from your brain

Imagine if your fear of spiders, heights or confined spaces vanished, leaving you with neutral feelings instead of a sweat-soaked panic.

A team of neuroscientists said they found a way to recondition the human brain to overcome specific fears. Their approach, if proven in further studies, could lead to new ways of treating patients with phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The international team published their findings Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

About 19 million U.S. adults, or 8.7 percent of the adult population, suffer prominent and persistent fears at the sight of specific objects or in specific situations, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.  Read more...