Your brain has a switch that can turn off anxiety, say scientists

Anxiety, a debilitating mental ailment, can hamper one's ability to think straight, and function normally on a day to day basis. While in small fractions, anxiety is usually no cause for concern (for example, feeling nervous before an exam, or a big presentation), however chronic anxiety can manifest itself as this nagging fear that something is going to go wrong, leading to more stress, and even panic attacks. However, scientists have now discovered that there is in fact, a way to shut off anxiety, and it lies in your brain. Yes, that is right....

To explain this, let's start off with the understanding of Serotonin, which is a chemical messenger that affects mood, learning, memory, and other bodily functions. For years, serotonin has been linked to anxiety, but a new research claims the opposite - higher serotonin in the cerebellum, might actually help in reducing anxiety, not increasing it.

How is this done?
By manipulating serotonin-releasing neurons, researchers have discovered a method to adjust anxiety levels in mice, effectively increasing or decreasing them. This breakthrough challenges existing theories about serotonin's role in anxiety and holds promise for developing more precise treatments for anxiety disorders in the future. The ability to modulate anxiety levels through serotonin manipulation suggests that targeting specific neural circuits could lead to more effective therapeutic strategies.
The findings
To understand this finding better, Pei Chin from the University of Pennsylvania and George Augustine from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory investigated how serotonin in the cerebellum affects anxiety-related behavior in mice. Surprisingly, they found that mice with less serotonin displayed more anxiety, and vice versa.

What does this mean?
Scientists say that this could signal new, and groundbreaking research in mental health, where brain chemicals can be altered to reduce anxiety in human beings.
Reference: “Serotonergic input into the cerebellar cortex modulates anxiety-like behavior” by Pei Wern Chin and George J. Augustine, 9 February 2025, Journal of Neuroscience
Are you suffering from anxiety? Here are some signs...
You are constantly worried: Even if everything is going on perfectly fine in your life, you are constantly on the edge. You are always worried that something will go wrong, and this has affected your day to day functioning.
Difficulty concentrating: If you have trouble concentrating on routine, mundane tasks, and that too everyday, chances are that you could be suffering from anxiety. This can be coupled with feeling irritable, trouble sleeping and panic attacks (in extreme cases)

Physical symptoms: This can manifest in the form of sweaty hands and feet, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, racing heart rate, nausea or abdominal distress, chest pain, tightness and more.

Disclaimer: These are just generic symptoms. If you think you are suffering from anxiety or any other ailment, please consult a specialist doctor.