Fear is a natural defense mechanism. But the case of one American woman proves that this mechanism can malfunction. The woman has no sense of fear.
She had already experienced gun attacks, but due to her inability to feel fear, she did not even call the police.
Once she was severely beaten, but even then the woman was not afraid. And when she meets a poisonous snake, she has to restrain herself so as not to touch her out of pure curiosity, tells The Daily Mail.
This case was investigated by employees of the University of Iowa. During the survey, it turned out that the woman does not even know what fear is. She does not remember times when she would have been scared except for one incident in childhood.
She developed symptoms of a rare Urbach-Wite disease for which there is no cure. Because of this disorder, part of the brain hardens and the tissues of the amygdala are destroyed. External symptoms of the disease include: a hoarse voice, scars on the skin, papules around the eyelids.
Calcium also builds up in the brain, causing hardening. As a result, the feeling of fear disappears, because the amygdala does not work normally. Usually in dangerous situations, this zone sends certain signals to the body. As a result, heart rate increases, palms sweat. In the case described above, the woman is not afraid of anything, but can recognize expressions of fear in others.
At the same time, she experiences joy, sadness, anger and other emotions. By the way, scientists managed to once arouse a feeling of fear in her by forcing her to inhale carbon dioxide (his amygdala recognizes as a sign of suffocation). Although this reaction was unpredictable. In the world, only 400 such cases are known. And there is no cure for the disease.