New target in the brain discovered to treat anxiety and anorexia
A team from the University of Cologne has identified a group of leptin-sensitive neurons in the hypothalamus that enable us to overcome fear and perform vital behaviours such as eating
Key points
A circuit has been discovered in the brain that helps calm anxiety and allows one to cope with potentially risky situations without blocking vital behaviours such as eating, resting or exploring new environments.
The discovery comes from the University of Cologne, where a team of neuroscientists led by Tatiana Korotkova, director of the Institute of Systems Physiology at the University of Cologne, has identified, in mice, a population of neurons located in the lateral part of the hypothalamus, a key region of the brain that controls essential functions such as appetite, sleep and stress response.
The role of leptin
These neurons are activated by leptin, a hormone produced by adipose tissue that regulates hunger and energy balance. When leptin stimulates this circuit, animals become less anxious and are able to eat or explore even in environments they would normally perceive as threatening.
"We observed," says researcher Rebecca Figge-Schlensok, the first signatory of the study together with Anne Petzold, "that leptin-sensitive neurons fire precisely when mice overcome fear and enter exposed spaces or approach food.
Microscopes that look inside the brain
To study this phenomenon, the researchers used mini-microscopes capable of recording the activity of individual neurons in the brains of the animals as they moved freely. The increased activity of this circuit made the mice more likely to explore and less prone to 'escape' behaviour such as compulsively running on the wheel, a mechanism similar to that observed in people with anorexia nervosa, where anxiety manifests itself in physical hyperactivity.
