PNAS: Unexpectedly!

Anxiety, addiction, and other mental illnesses are usually characterized by stressful states that scientists call "awakening": rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, shortened breathing, and "bad" decisions

"Our findings indicate that the brain's decision-making circuits may be connected to continuously monitor and integrate what is happening in the body

The research was led by Atsushi Fujimoto, MD, a mentor in the laboratory of Dr.

For many years, scientists have described the relationship between arousal and decision-making ability as a "u-shaped curve

The preliminary results of this study support this view

Next, the researchers analyzed the electrical activity recorded by neurons in the two decision centers of the brain, the orbitofrontal cortex and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex

They found that about one-sixth of the neuron activity in these two areas is related to heart rate fluctuations

Brain scan studies have shown that arousal of the body changes the activities of these decision-making centers

To answer this question, the researchers analyzed the data obtained after the amygdala (the emotional center of the brain) of each animal was shut down by surgery

When the research team observed neural activity, they found more interesting things

Dr.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (mh10822), the National Institutes of Health Brain Program (mhh117040), the National Institute of Mental Health Internal Research Program of the National Institutes of Health (MH002886), the Takeda Science Foundation, and the Brain and Behavior Supported by the Research Foundation Young Researcher Fund (#28979)

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Fujimoto, A.