Overview
- The peer‑reviewed study, published March 16, 2026 in the Journal of Neuroscience, reconstructs a colliculo–geniculate–amygdala pathway in humans using Human Connectome Project data.
- Higher fiber density in this tract correlates with better hearing performance in noisy environments as well as increased self‑reported fearfulness.
- Researchers used probabilistic streamline tractography and fixel‑based analysis to infer a white‑matter route linking the inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and basolateral amygdala.
- A control analysis found the canonical ventral MGB–primary auditory cortex pathway related to auditory ability but not to affective measures, supporting a distinct affective route.
- The findings are correlational and align with animal evidence for rapid fear signaling, and the team plans task‑based imaging with fearful sounds and studies in high‑anxiety or clinical populations.