Scientists getting closer to helping people with anxiety

By Tom Campbell via SWNS

A new drug to tackle anxiety could be around the corner after scientists find what part of the brain to target.

The cerebellum, a part of the brain which tells people when to freeze in fear, could also be fuelling their anxiety, according to a new study.

Existing treatments for anxiety disorders, which affect hundreds of millions of people, are not always effective for all patients and can have nasty side effects.

Now scientists at the University of Bristol in England have made a breakthrough that could open the door to better treatments.

Lead author Dr. Charlotte Lawrenson said: "Until now, little was understood about how the cerebellum modulates neuronal activity in other brain regions, especially those related to fear and anxiety."

An estimated eight 40 million adults in the U.S. (19.1%) have an anxiety disorder. Approximately 7% of children aged 3-17 experience issues with anxiety each year. Most people develop symptoms before age 21, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health.

Animals were fitted with electrodes to record activity in a brain region known as the periaqueductal grey (PAG).

The PAG is located at the crossroads of central networks in the brain, which coordinates survival mechanisms like freezing in the face of danger.

The animals were then given a small shock on their foot while at the same time hearing a distinctive noise.

This way, they formed a "fear memory," whereby every time they heard the noise they expected to be shocked.

The responsiveness of a small number of brain cells in the brain’s PAG area increased when they heard the tone, the researchers found.

But when they tampered with the output from the cerebellum, the response was less precise and animals froze more frequently.

This suggests interactions between these two areas of the brain could help shape a person's fears and response.

It could pave the way for a new drug to treat anxiety and psychological disorders, which affect an estimated 264 million people worldwide.

Lead author Dr Elena Paci said: "Importantly, our results show that the cerebellum is part of the brain’s survival network that regulates fear memory processes at multiple timescales and in multiple ways.

"This raises the possibility that dysfunctional interactions in the brain’s cerebellar-survival network may underlie fear-related disorders and comorbidities.”

The findings were published in the journal eLife.