Project Grant R01MH141088

The National Institute of Mental Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded the University of California, San Diego $684,740 on September 1, 2026, under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) to investigate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying fear extinction learning and to test whether computer-based working memory training enhances exposure-based treatment for anxiety disorders.

The research will examine whether working memory training administered prior to massed exposure therapy improves fear learning outcomes compared to sham training followed by massed exposure, using public speaking anxiety as a clinical model. The study employs a rigorous experimental trial design to test the hypothesis that enhancing working memory—a neurocognitive process associated with successful fear extinction—may improve exposure therapy efficacy. Computer-based working memory training offers high mechanistic precision, ease of administration, and low cost relative to other neurocognitive enhancement approaches. The long-term goal is to develop improved interventions for anxiety disorders by clarifying the neurocognitive processes involved in exposure-based fear extinction learning, potentially addressing treatment failure in individuals who do not achieve adequate response to standard exposure therapy.

Performance occurs in La Jolla, California. The award period extends from September 1, 2026, to June 30, 2031. The assistance type is Project Grant.