Adrenergic C1 neurons enhance anxiety via projections to PAG.

ABSTRACT: Anxiety is an emotional state precipitated by the anticipation of real or potential threats. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric illnesses globally and increase the risk of developing comorbid conditions that negatively impact the brain and body. The etiology of anxiety disorders remains unresolved, limiting improvement of therapeutic strategies to alleviate anxiety-related symptoms with increased specificity and efficacy. Here, we applied novel intersectional tools to identify a discrete population of brainstem adrenergic neurons, named C1 cells, that promote aversion and anxiety-related behaviors via projections to the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG). While C1 cells have traditionally been implicated in modulation of autonomic processes, rabies tracing revealed that the

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Pena C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11419123 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature