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Nova Istrazivanja Anxiety
Nova Istrazivanja Anxiety
molecular origins of
anxiety
Scientists have found that increasing the levels of
a molecule in a particular part of the brain can
reduce anxious temperament in young monkeys.
New research identifies brain molecules that play a key role in anxiety.
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The finding sheds light on the origins of anxiety disorders and how it might be
possible to devise early treatments for those at risk.
Although there are some effective treatments for anxiety disorders, they do
not work for everybody. Also, in some cases, they do not treat all of the
symptoms.
In earlier work with young rhesus macaques, the researchers had identified
that the amygdala forms a central part of the brain circuitry of anxious
temperament.
The amygdala is a brain region that has a key role in a person's emotions.
The search led them to a handful of molecules from which they selected a
single one, neurotrophin-3, to investigate further.
"There are millions of people worldwide who suffer from debilitating anxiety
and depressive disorders," says first study author Andrew S. Fox, Ph.D., an
assistant professor in psychology at UC, Davis.
"These disorders are also some of the leading causes of disability and days
lost to disability," adds Fox, who also works as a researcher at the California
National Primate Research Center.
For people with anxiety disorders, however, the feelings do not subside, and
they can even get worse over time. For these individuals, persistent
symptoms can disrupt relationships and work or school life.
For people with panic disorder, it is not only the attacks themselves but also
the anticipation and worry about the next one that can disrupt daily life.
Panic attacks can be sudden and bring on intense fear, causing heart
palpitations, trembling, sweating, and shaking. Sensations of choking and
smothering, as well as a feeling of losing control, can also accompany these
symptoms.
A World Health Organization (WHO) estimate from 2015 suggests that the
number of people worldwide living with anxiety disorders totals 264 million.
The researchers have also listed other molecules that they consider worthy of
further study in relation to anxiety and associated conditions.
Fox believes that the recent study has identified what could be the first of
many molecules with a causal role in the development of anxiety in nonhuman
primates.
"We're only just beginning. [...] There could be hundreds or even thousands
more."