An acid-sensing channel sows fear and panic.
The amygdala is a brain region that coordinates fear responses to a variety of threats. Ziemann et al. (2009) now show that acid-sensing channels in the amygdala mediate fear responses that accompany inhalation of carbon dioxide, suggesting that aberrant chemosensation may underlie anxiety disorders associated with a fear of suffocation.
Maren
Stephen
S
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA. maren@umich.edu
D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; D000679:Amygdala / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*
D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D015222:Sodium Channels