Paper by Postdoctoral Researcher Maria Alemany-González and Researcher Ai Koizumi Published in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

August 3, 2026

A research paper by Maria Alemany-González, Postdoctoral Researcher, and Ai Koizumi, Researcher, at Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL) has been published in the international peer-reviewed journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

The paper, titled “Reconceptualizing Human Fear Memory Through the Defense Cascade,” proposes a new theoretical framework for understanding human fear memory by moving beyond the traditional fear conditioning paradigm and reexamining fear memory through the perspective of the defense cascade, in which defensive responses dynamically change according to the imminence of a threat.

The authors also introduce experimental approaches that manipulate threat imminence and assess a wide range of defensive responses, including whole-body movements. This work provides new insights into fear memory and defensive responses in trauma-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and offers a new direction for bridging basic neuroscience and clinical research.

Publication Information

• Title: Reconceptualizing Human Fear Memory Through the Defense Cascade
• Authors: Maria Alemany-González, Ai Koizumi
• Journal: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
• Volume: 223
• Article: 108126