No crossing light or gate arm was present. In 1973, the panic disorder train slammed me. At the age of 19, my life changed forever. What is the fuel for this runaway train, then? Scientists believed they were getting close to a solution, but then this happened.
‘…we have found a brain circuit that is not part of the amygdala and that could lead to new treatments for panic attacks that are different from the current panic disorder medications, which target the serotonin system in the brain.
Anyone who has studied their panic disorder knows the drill.
The amygdala interprets the messages that our senses send. It sounds an alarm if it detects a danger and it is not overruled by cerebral cortex.
A new study says “not exactly” – but you wouldn’t know it.
It’s a big news. Are you ready for this?
Salk scientists discover key brain pathway that mediates panic disorder symptoms
Effective medical interventions do not appear in a vacuum. It’s impossible to achieve anything without research and a deep understanding.
The headline must have caught your attention if you got that.
Researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla (California) have discovered a brain circuit that contains specialized neurons which mediate panic symptoms in mice.
Bill: “Come on Bill, mouse?” Remember that rodents and humans share many anatomical and genetic similarities.
Imagine the impact on society if we were able to map the brain regions, neuronal connections, and neural pathways that are involved in panic attacks. The Salk team is doing just that.
The findings of the study were published on January 4, 2024 in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The circuit
The team discovered a brain circuit consisting of neurons that are primarily responsible for sending and receiving a neuropeptide, a small polypeptide that transmits messages to the brain. This protein is called pituitary-adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide.
The team also determined that PACAP and the neurons that produce the receptor are potential druggable targets to treat panic disorder.
Why is this important? A druggable targets is a biological or chemical target that has been shown to have a high affinity for a drug. By definition, binding of a drug to a target that is druggable must also alter its function with therapeutic benefits for the patient.
Do you realize how important this discovery is to the world?
Sung Han, a senior author and professor Sung Han…