Summary: New research has revealed that the cerebellum’s serotonin is a significant component of anxiety rules. Researchers discovered that animals with lower cerebral serotonin levels displayed more troubled behaviors while mice with higher dopamine levels were less anxious.
By intentionally stimulating or inhibiting serotonin-releasing cells in the brain, researchers were able to inter control anxiety reactions. This refutes past hypotheses that serotonin can cause anxiety and identifies the cerebellum as a key component of emotional regulation.
The researches could lead to more detailed treatments for panic disorders. Potential research may look into whether this mechanism operates also in people and how it can be used to target it clinically.
Major Information
- Cerebral Serotonin’s Role: Higher norepinephrine levels in the brain lower anxiety-like behaviors in mice.
- Bidirectional Control: Stimulating dopamine neurons in the brain reduces anxiety while preventing them leads to increased anxiety.
- Treatment Potential: Targeting neurological serotonin pathways could lead to new stress solutions.
Origin: SfN
Researchers may be able to identify circuit-specific targets and improve the efficiency of therapy strategies by understanding the neurological pathways that underlie anxiety.
Past research has suggested that brainstem and dopamine levels may contribute to anxiety.
To explore the connection between these thoughts, Pei Chin, from the University of Pennsylvania, and George Augustine, from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, probed whether dopamine in the brain causes stress behaviour in animals.
Contrary to previous studies, animals displaying anxiety-like behaviour had lower amounts of neurological serotonin, while less frightened mice had increased dopamine in the brain.
Therefore, according to Chin and Augustine, they discovered that by deliberately stimulating or inhibiting the serotonin-releasing cells, they could affect stress behavior in a variety of ways.
This new use of neurological serotonin as a “brake” to manage anxiety, in their opinion, is beneficial for research in more sophisticated animal models and the creation of novel treatment techniques.  ,
About this information about analysis in biology and anxiety
Author: Paige McKeon
Source: SfN
Contact: Paige McKeon – SfN
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: The results may appear in Journal of Neuroscience
