{"id":51598,"date":"2024-11-19T07:49:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T15:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/?post_type=disclosure&p=51598"},"modified":"2024-11-19T08:04:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T16:04:26","slug":"neuroscientists-discover-how-the-brain-slows-anxious-breathing","status":"publish","type":"disclosure","link":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/de\/news-release\/neuroscientists-discover-how-the-brain-slows-anxious-breathing\/","title":{"rendered":"Neurowissenschaftler entdecken, wie das Gehirn \u00e4ngstliche Atmung verlangsamt"},"content":{"rendered":"

LA JOLLA\u2014Deep breath in, slow breath out<\/em>\u2026 Isn\u2019t it odd that we can self-soothe by slowing down our breathing? Humans have long used slow breathing to regulate their emotions, and practices like yoga and mindfulness have even popularized formal techniques like box breathing. Still, there has been little scientific understanding of how the brain consciously controls our breathing and whether this actually has a direct effect on our anxiety and emotional state.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\"From<\/a>
From left: Sung Han and Jinho Jhang.\r\n
Klicken Sie hier<\/a> f\u00fcr ein hochaufl\u00f6sendes Bild.
Kredit: Salk Institut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

\r\nNeuroscientists at the Salk Institute have now, for the first time, identified a specific brain circuit that regulates breathing voluntarily. Using mice, the researchers pinpointed a group of brain cells in the frontal cortex that connects to the brainstem, where vital actions like breathing are controlled. Their findings suggest this connection between the more sophisticated parts of the brain and the lower brainstem\u2019s breathing center allows us to coordinate our breathing with our current behaviors and emotional state. \r\n<\/p>

\r\nThe findings, published in Nature Neuroscience<\/a><\/em> on November 19, 2024, describe a new set of brain cells and molecules that could be targeted with therapeutics to prevent hyperventilation and regulate anxiety, panic, or post-traumatic stress disorders.\r\n<\/p>

\r\n\u201cThe body naturally regulates itself with deep breaths, so aligning our breathing with our emotions seems almost intuitive to us\u2014but we didn\u2019t really know how this worked in the brain,\u201d says senior author Sung Han<\/a>, associate professor and Pioneer Fund Developmental Chair at Salk. \u201cBy uncovering a specific brain mechanism responsible for slowing breathing, our discovery may offer a scientific explanation for the beneficial effects of practices like yoga and mindfulness on alleviating negative emotions, grounding them further in science.\u201d \r\n<\/p>\r\n

\"A<\/a>
A mouse breathes in air to form a brain-shaped cloud, which pours rain down onto a wildfire that represents the hot emotions of anxiety and panic.\r\n
Klicken Sie hier<\/a> f\u00fcr ein hochaufl\u00f6sendes Bild.
Kredit: Salk Institut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n

\r\nBreathing patterns and emotional state are difficult to untangle\u2014if anxiety increases or decreases, so does the breathing rate. Despite this seemingly obvious connection between emotional regulation and breathing, previous studies had only thoroughly explored subconscious breathing mechanisms in the brainstem. And while newer studies had started to describe conscious top-down mechanisms, no specific brain circuits were discovered until the Salk team took a crack at the case.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nThe researchers assumed the brain\u2019s frontal cortex, which orchestrates complex thoughts and behaviors, was somehow communicating to a brainstem region called the medulla, which controls automatic breathing. To test this, they first consulted a neural connectivity database and then did experiments to trace the connections between these different brain areas. \r\n<\/p>

\r\nThese initial experiments revealed a potential new breathing circuit: Neurons in a frontal region called the anterior cingulate cortex were connected to an intermediate brainstem area in the pons, which was then connected to the medulla just below.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nBeyond the physical connections of these brain areas, it was also important to consider the types of messages they might send each other. For example, when the medulla is active, it initiates breathing. However, messages coming down from the pons actually inhibit activity in the medulla, leading breathing rates to slow down. Han\u2019s team hypothesized that certain emotions or behaviors could lead cortical neurons to activate the pons, which would then lower activity in the medulla, resulting in slower breath.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nTo test this, the researchers recorded brain activity in mice during behaviors that alter breathing, such as sniffing, swimming, and drinking, as well as during conditions that induce fear and anxiety. They also used a technique called optogenetics to turn parts of this brain circuit on or off in different emotional and behavioral contexts while measuring the animals\u2019 breathing and behavior. \r\n<\/p>

\r\nTheir findings confirmed that when the connection between the cortex and the pons was activated, mice were calmer and breathed more slowly, but when mice were in anxiety-inducing situations, this communication decreased, and breathing rates went up. Furthermore, when the researchers artificially activated this cortex-pons-medulla circuit, the animals\u2019 breath slowed, and they showed fewer signs of anxiety. On the other hand, if researchers shut this circuit off, breathing rates went up, and the mice became more anxious. \r\n<\/p>

\"dACC<\/a>
dACC neurons (green) in the mouse brain.\r\n
Klicken Sie hier<\/a> f\u00fcr ein hochaufl\u00f6sendes Bild.
Kredit: Salk Institut<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\r\nAltogether, this anterior cingulate cortex-pons-medulla circuit supported the voluntary coordination of breathing rates with behavioral and emotional states.\r\n<\/p>

\r\n\u201cOur findings got me thinking: Could we develop drugs to activate these neurons and manually slow our breathing or prevent hyperventilation in panic disorder?\u201d says first author of the study Jinho Jhang, a senior research associate in Han\u2019s lab. \u201cMy sister, three years younger than me, has suffered from panic disorder for many years. She continues to inspire my research questions and my dedication to answering them.\u201d\r\n<\/p>

\r\nThe researchers will continue analyzing the circuit to determine whether drugs could activate it to slow breathing on command. Additionally, the team is working to find the circuit\u2019s converse\u2014a fast breathing circuit, which they believe is likely also tied to emotion. They are hopeful their findings will result in long-term solutions for people with anxiety, stress, and panic disorders, who inspire their discovery and dedication. \r\n<\/p>

\r\n\u201cI want to use these findings to design a yoga pill,\u201d says Han. \u201cIt may sound silly, and the translation of our work into a marketable drug will take years, but we now have a potentially targetable brain circuit for creating therapeutics that could instantly slow breathing and initiate a peaceful, meditative state.\u201d \r\n<\/p>

\r\nOther authors include Shijia Liu, Seahyung Park, and David O\u2019Keefe of Salk.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nThe work was supported by the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind (IRGS 2020-1710).\r\n<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":51601,"template":"","faculty":[294],"disease-research":[458,124],"class_list":["post-51598","disclosure","type-disclosure","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","faculty-sung-han","disease-research-anxiety","disease-research-neuroscience-and-neurological-disorders"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNeuroscientists discover how the brain slows anxious breathing - Salk Institute for Biological Studies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/de\/news-release\/neuroscientists-discover-how-the-brain-slows-anxious-breathing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Neuroscientists discover how the brain slows anxious breathing - Salk Institute for Biological Studies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"LA JOLLA\u2014Deep breath in, slow breath out\u2026 Isn\u2019t it odd that we can self-soothe by slowing down our breathing? 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