Novelty exploration-activated ensemble in the lateral hypothalamus confers analgesic and anxiolytic effects - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #pain relief
- #neural circuits
- #lateral hypothalamus
- Novelty exploration alleviates acute and chronic pain and reduces anxiety in mice.
- A specific neuronal ensemble in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) is activated during novelty exploration and responds to pain and anxiety stimuli.
- Activating this LH ensemble produces analgesic and anxiolytic effects, while inhibiting it worsens pain and anxiety behaviors.
- The LH ensemble includes both GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons, both involved in modulating pain and anxiety.
- Distinct projections from this ensemble to brain regions (e.g., lateral preoptic area, lateral habenula, VTA, lateral PAG) regulate pain and anxiety in different patterns.
- This research identifies a neural circuit that underlies the benefits of attention distraction via novelty exposure, offering potential targets for treating pain and anxiety.