Cornell researchers have identified a specific brain circuit that could lead to anxiety treatments without cognitive side effects.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have made promising advances in understanding how to reduce anxiety through specific brain circuitry, potentially leading to more effective treatments without the usual side effects linked to current therapies.In a study published on January 28 in the journal Neuron, the investigators explored how a type of brain receptor called metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 can be targeted to alleviate anxiety-related symptoms.
Illuminating these molecules with specific wavelengths of light could control receptor activity in particular brain circuits.Their experiments yielded mixed results. In one circuit stemming from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, activating mGluR2 diminished a common anxiety behavior called spatial avoidance.However, this benefit was overshadowed by a noted impairment in working memory, pointing towards the cognitive challenges often associated with existing anxiety treatments.
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