Ivy League researchers say they’ve identified where fear resides in the brain, in a finding that carries significance for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

The team of scientists from Dartmouth College found that the striatum – a part of the brain involved in motor function and decision making – enlarges in tandem with an intolerance to uncertainty, or fear of the unknown.

Justin Kim and his colleagues studied 56 mentally healthy students who underwent MRI scans of their brains. The volunteers also completed a survey that assessed their ability to cope with the uncertainty of challenges or negative events in the future.

Part of the brain that causes fear identified by scientists