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Brain Protein Implicated in Fear Response
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Researchers at the University of Iowa have been studying how carbon dioxide can trigger panic attacks. This research has focused on a brain protein, acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a). Dr. John Wemmie, professor of psychiatry and neurosurgery at UI and his team found that carbon dioxide increases brain acidity, this increase in acidity effects ASIC1a. ASIC1a is found abundantly in the amygdala and the researchers found that removal of this protein corresponded to a reduction in innate fear and memory of the fear in the mice they were studying.
This fear reduction effect makes sense because the amygdala corresponds to the brains processing of emotions and the memory of the emotions. These emotions include fear. For many years scientists have known that carbon dioxide triggers the fear reaction but the team at UI has given the first molecular evidence for why this reaction happens.
Dr. Wemmie believes that this new finding suggests that the amygdala can also detect chemical signals that are known to produce panic attacks in certain people. Because carbon dioxide is deadly at high levels this response could have evolved to give a warning when carbon dioxide is being inhaled. The amygdala of the individual would induce a panic response which would trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response enabling them to act quickly to the situation.
More research into this fear response is planned by Dr. Wemmie and his collegues at the University of Iowa for the future to look at other factors that ASIC1a can have in the fear response. To see the full article head to the Journal of Neuroscience.
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