科學家已經確定了老鼠大腦中焦慮的物理來源

科學家已經確定了老鼠大腦中焦慮的物理來源

We're not wired to feel safe all the time, but maybe one day we could be.

我們并不總是感到安全，但也許有一天我們會感到安全。

A 2018 study investigating the neurological basis of anxiety in the brain has identified 'anxiety cells' located in the hippocampus of mice – which not only regulate anxious behaviour but can be controlled by a beam of light.

2018年的一項研究調查了大腦中焦慮的神經基礎，發(fā)現(xiàn)老鼠海馬中有“焦慮細胞”，不僅可以調節(jié)焦慮行為，還可以通過光束控制。

The findings, so far demonstrated in experiments with lab mice, could offer a ray of hope for the millions of people worldwide who experience anxiety disorders (including almost one in five adults in the US), by leading to new drugs that silence these anxiety-controlling neurons.

到目前為止，這一發(fā)現(xiàn)已經在實驗室老鼠的實驗中得到了證實，它可以為全世界數(shù)百萬患有焦慮癥的人(包括美國近五分之一的成年人)帶來一線希望，由此研發(fā)的新藥，可以抑制焦慮的神經元。

To find out, the team used a technique called calcium imaging, inserting miniature microscopes into the brains of lab mice to record the activity of cells in the hippocampus as the animals made their way around their enclosures.

為了找到答案，研究小組使用了一種叫做鈣成像的技術，將微型顯微鏡插入實驗鼠的大腦中，以記錄動物在圍場中行進時海馬體中細胞的活動。

The team built special mazes where some paths led to open spaces and elevated platforms – exposed environments known to induce anxiety in mice, due to increased vulnerability to predators.

該團隊建造了一些特殊的迷宮，其中一些路徑通向開闊的空間和升高的平臺——暴露的環(huán)境會引起老鼠的焦慮，因為它們更容易受到捕食者的攻擊。

Away from the safety of walls, something went off in the mice's heads – with the researchers observing cells in a part of the hippocampus called ventral CA1 (vCA1) firing up, and the more anxious the mice behaved, the greater the neuron activity became.

離開了安全的細胞壁，老鼠的大腦發(fā)生了變化——研究人員觀察到海馬體中被稱為腹側CA1 (vCA1)的部分細胞開始活躍，老鼠表現(xiàn)得越焦慮，神經元的活動就越強烈。

By changing the light settings, the researchers were also able to enhance the activity of the anxiety cells, making the animals quiver even when safely ensconced in enclosed, walled surroundings – not that the team necessarily thinks vCA1 is the only brain region involved here.

通過改變光線的設置，研究人員還能夠增強焦慮細胞的活動，使動物即使安全地安坐在封閉的、有圍墻的環(huán)境中也會顫抖——這并不是說研究小組一定認為vCA1是這里涉及的唯一大腦區(qū)域。

"These cells are probably just one part of an extended circuit by which the animal learns about anxiety-related information," Kheirbek told NPR, highlighting other neural cells justify additional study too.

“這些細胞可能只是動物學習焦慮相關信息的擴展回路的一部分，”Kheirbek告訴美國國家公共電臺(NPR)，并強調了其他神經細胞也有必要進行額外的研究。

In any case, the next steps will be to find out whether the same control switch is what regulates human anxiety – and based on what we know about the brain similarities with mice, it seems plausible.

無論如何，下一步將是找出是否相同的控制開關控制人類的焦慮——基于我們對老鼠大腦的相似之處的了解，這似乎是合理的。

If that pans out, these results could open a big new research lead into ways to treat various anxiety conditions.

如果這一結論得到證實，這些研究結果將為治療各種焦慮癥開辟一條新的研究方向。

And that's something we should all be grateful for.

這是我們都應該感激的。