Credit: Spitzer Lab, UC San DiegoNeurobiologists have actually found how stress turns into fear in the brain– in conditions such as PTSD– and a technique to block it.Our anxious systems are naturally wired to notice fear. Credit: Spitzer Lab, UC San DiegoBreakthroughs in Fear ResearchIn their report, previous UC San Diego Assistant Project Scientist Hui-quan Li, (now a senior scientist at Neurocrine Biosciences), Atkinson Family Distinguished Professor Nick Spitzer of the School of Biological Sciences and their coworkers describe the research behind their discovery of the neurotransmitters– the chemical messengers that permit the brains nerve cells to communicate with one another– at the root of stress-induced generalized fear.Studying the brains of mice in a location known as the dorsal raphe (located in the brainstem), the researchers found that intense stress-induced a switch in the chemical signals in the nerve cells, flipping from excitatory “glutamate” to repressive “GABA” neurotransmitters, which led to generalized worry responses.Insights and Interventions for Generalized Fear”Our results offer essential insights into the mechanisms involved in worry generalization,” stated Spitzer, a member of UC San Diegos Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind.”Now that we have a manage on the core of the system by which stress-induced worry takes place and the circuitry that executes this worry, interventions can be targeted and specific,” stated Spitzer.Reference: “Generalized worry after severe stress is triggered by modification in neuronal cotransmitter identity” by Hui-quan Li, Wuji Jiang, Li Ling, Marta Pratelli, Cong Chen, Vaidehi Gupta, Swetha K. Godavarthi and Nicholas C. Spitzer, 14 March 2024, Science.DOI: 10.1126/ science.adj5996The research study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Overland Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.
Credit: Spitzer Lab, UC San DiegoNeurobiologists have found how stress turns into worry in the brain– in conditions such as PTSD– and an approach to block it.Our anxious systems are naturally wired to sense worry. Credit: Spitzer Lab, UC San DiegoBreakthroughs in Fear ResearchIn their report, former UC San Diego Assistant Project Scientist Hui-quan Li, (now a senior scientist at Neurocrine Biosciences), Atkinson Family Distinguished Professor Nick Spitzer of the School of Biological Sciences and their coworkers describe the research behind their discovery of the neurotransmitters– the chemical messengers that permit the brains neurons to communicate with one another– at the root of stress-induced generalized fear.Studying the brains of mice in an area known as the dorsal raphe (situated in the brainstem), the scientists found that severe stress-induced a switch in the chemical signals in the neurons, flipping from excitatory “glutamate” to repressive “GABA” neurotransmitters, which led to generalized worry responses.Insights and Interventions for Generalized Fear”Our outcomes offer crucial insights into the mechanisms involved in fear generalization,” said Spitzer, a member of UC San Diegos Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind.”Now that we have a manage on the core of the mechanism by which stress-induced worry occurs and the circuitry that implements this fear, interventions can be targeted and particular,” stated Spitzer.Reference: “Generalized fear after intense tension is triggered by modification in neuronal cotransmitter identity” by Hui-quan Li, Wuji Jiang, Li Ling, Marta Pratelli, Cong Chen, Vaidehi Gupta, Swetha K. Godavarthi and Nicholas C. Spitzer, 14 March 2024, Science.DOI: 10.1126/ science.adj5996The research study was moneyed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Overland Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.