2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Neuronal mechanisms that regulate hyper-arousal in response to stress and anxiety
| Project/Area Number |
15H03122
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Basic / Social brain science
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| Research Institution | University of Tsukuba (2016-2017)
Kanazawa University (2015) |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
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| Keywords | 覚醒 / 情動 / 大脳辺縁系 / オレキシン |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
We found that acute optogenetic excitation of GABA neurons in the BNST during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in mice resulted in immediate transition to a wakefulness state without the function of orexins. Prolonged excitation of GABABNST neurons by a chemogenetic method evoked a longer-lasting, sustained wakefulness state, which was abolished by pre-administration of a dual orexin receptor antagonist. We also found that when the orexin→NA→amygdala circuit was artificially activated, fear-related behavior increased in a similar but distinct from the training context. Increased activation of these circuits enhanced the fear response in otherwise neutral situation. Conditions that naturally activate orexin neurons, such as fasting, could result in an orexin-dependent shift to a ‘vigilance’ state and alter the selection of a behavioral response to avoid and handle environmental threats.
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| Free Research Field |
神経生理学
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