The discovery was made by Airi Yoshimoto, of the University of Tokyo, and could change the way we treat arrhythmias, pain, and anxiety. Thanks to her research, it is possible to study the brain circuits that control the heart rhythm also in rats, paving the way for new therapies.
The role of the brain in controlling the heartThe rat study The role of the brain in controlling the heart
Although heart rate is primarily controlled by the autonomic nervous system, it is known that it can be intentionally altered through training. Activities such as relaxation, meditation, and breathing can slow the heart rate, allowing humans to remain without breathing for several minutes.
These techniques could have significant applications in the non-pharmacological treatment of various cardiac disorders, such as arrhythmias, and in the control of pain, anxiety or depression. However, what happens at the level of neural circuits is still little known.
brain The study on rats
To better understand these mechanisms, Japanese researchers developed an experimental model using rats. By stimulating certain regions of the brain, particularly the neocortex and the medial forebrain, they observed that the rats learned to reduce their heart rate within 30 minutes. After five days of training, the rats showed a reduction in heart rate of about 50%.
The neural circuitry that induces bradycardia extends from the anterior cingulate cortex to postganglionic parasympathetic neurons in the heart. This work could greatly aid new laboratory studies, using rats as models for a phenomenon that has so far been impossible to replicate in animals.
Meta Description: A Japanese discovery reveals how the brain can control the heartbeat, paving the way for new therapies for arrhythmia, pain and anxiety.
In your opinion, what other applications could these discoveries have in the medical field?
