According to RCO News Agency, quoted by Independent, researchers from the Salk Institute in America have discovered a pathway behind voluntary breathing and emotional regulation in the brain of mice. Their research, recently published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, shows connections between more complex parts of the brain and the breathing center in the brainstem, which makes it possible to coordinate breathing with emotional states.
Although the process of breathing is automatic, humans and some animals can relax themselves by breathing slowly. This method forms the main part of processes like yoga. How the brain regulates breathing and how it affects a person’s anxiety and emotional state is poorly understood. Researchers claim that so far only the mechanisms of unconscious breathing in the root of the brain are fully understood.
In their new study, the researchers set out to explore the top-down conscious mechanisms that link emotion regulation and breathing. They first examined the brain connectivity data repository to examine the connections between different parts of the brain. The analysis revealed a possible respiratory circuit that connected the front part of the brain, called the anterior cingulate cortex, to the mid-brainstem region, which then connects to the medulla.
Previous research has shown that when the medulla is activated, it causes breathing, but the signals received from the lower brainstem region limit this activity and slow down breathing.
The researchers hypothesized that certain emotions or behavior lead to the activation of brain pathways, which in turn slow down activity in the medulla and breathing.
They tested this hypothesis on mice whose breathing was altered during activities such as swimming, sucking, and drinking water, as well as when fear and anxiety were induced. The researchers found that when the connection between the cortex and the brainstem region was activated, the mice were calmer and breathed more slowly. When the animals were in an anxiety-induced condition and the breathing rate was increased, this relationship was reduced. Following this path, they discovered a group of neurons in the frontal cortex of the mice’s brain, which is connected to the brainstem and controls features such as breathing.
According to the researchers, this connection helps mice to coordinate their breathing according to their behavior and emotional state. Further analysis revealed a new set of brain cells and molecules that scientists believe can be targeted with drugs. These findings may lead to long-term solutions for people suffering from anxiety and stress disorders.
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