The findings could lead to new mental health therapies for
disorders such as addiction, anxiety, and depression.
New research from the University of North Carolina School of
Medicine for the first time explains exactly how two brain regions interact to
promote emotionally motivated behaviors associated with anxiety and reward.
The findings could lead to new mental health therapies for
disorders such as addiction, anxiety, and depression. A report of the research
was published online by the journal, Nature, on March 20, 2013.
Located deep in the brain’s temporal lobe are tightly packed
clusters of brain cells in the almond shaped amygdala that are important for
processing memory and emotion. When animals or people are in stressful
situations, neurons in an extended portion of the amygdala called the bed
nucleus of the stria terminalis, or BNST, become hyperactive.