Work

GABAergic neurons in central amygdala contribute to orchestrating anxiety-like behaviors and breathing patterns

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Anxiety is characterized by dysregulated respiratory reactivity to emotional stimuli. The central amygdala (CeA) is a pivotal structure involved in processing emotional alterations, but its involvement in orchestrating anxiety-like behaviors and specific breathing patterns remains largely unexplored. Our findings demonstrate that the acute restraint stress (ARS) induces anxiety-like behaviors in mice, marked by prolonged grooming time and faster respiratory frequency (RF). Conversely, silencing GABAergic CeA neurons reduces post-ARS anxiety-like behaviors, as well as the associated increases in grooming time and RF. In actively behaving mice, stimulation of GABAergic CeA neurons elicits anxiety-like behaviors, concurrently prolongs grooming time, accelerates RF through a CeA-thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT) circuit. In either behaviorally quiescent or anesthetized mice, stimulation of these neurons significantly increases RF but does not induce anxiety-like behaviors through the CeA-lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) circuit. Collectively, GABAergic CeA neurons are instrumental in orchestrating anxiety-like behaviors and breathing patterns primarily through the CeA-PVT and CeA-LPBN circuits, respectively. Anxiety involves abnormal respiratory responses to emotional stimuli. Here, the authors show that CeAGABA neurons, acting as a central hub, are instrumental in orchestrating anxiety-like behaviors and breathing patterns through the CeA-PVT and CeA-LPBN-preBötC circuits, correspondingly.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58791-6