Slow-wave sleep engages brainstem circuitry to prevent stress-induced anxiety - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #slow-wave sleep
- #brainstem neuroscience
- #anxiety circuit
- Sleep, especially slow-wave sleep (SWS), is known to reduce anxiety, but the brain mechanisms have been unclear.
- A specific brain circuit involving the parafacial zone (PZ) sending GABA signals to the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) is identified as key to SWS's anxiety-reducing effects.
- Activating PZ GABA neurons after stress can trigger SWS and prevent anxiety in mice.
- During SWS, activity is suppressed in the LPB and the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNST).
- The LPB's connection to ovBNST drives both wakefulness and anxiety, while its link to the basal forebrain only promotes arousal without anxiety.
- PZ neurons inhibit LPB neurons that produce calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which normally activate anxiety via ovBNST CRH neurons.
- This PZVgat-LPBCGRP-ovBNSTCrh circuit is essential for sleep-induced anxiety relief and may be a target for treating anxiety disorders.