Key Takeaways:
- Neuroscientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a brain pathway that sucks out anxiety.
- This scientific breakthrough could potentially lead to a new class of drugs to specifically target anxiety disorders.
- The research and clinical trials for these new drugs could take up to 10 years.
- While breathing exercises help alleviate anxiety, they aren’t always sufficient, especially in situations of panic.
The Quest for a ‘Yoga Pill’
We all know the feeling of a sudden anxiety attack – a racing heart, shallow breathing, tingling arms. It’s an unpleasant experience, especially when it occurs in public places where the usual calming methods like lying down and deep breathing exercises can’t exactly be implemented. Thankfully, a scientific breakthrough is on the horizon that could help combat this issue.
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have recently identified a brain pathway capable of instantly dispelling anxiety. This new pathway manages our voluntary breathing, conscious as opposed to automatic, allowing us to control the speed of our breath and in turn calm our mind.
The Science Behind the Pathway
For years, we’ve recognised the link between controlled breathing and mental calmness. Take a stressful moment, for example – often, we’re advised to inhale deeply and exhale slowly to regain equilibrium. Until now, the underlying mechanics of how our brain achieved this remained elusive. However, the new discovery reveals that a group of cells in the cortex – the higher part of the brain attributable to more intricate, conscious thought – transmits messages to the brain stem, which subsequently communicates with the lungs. This is the “circuit”.
These findings offer scientific backing to calming behavioral practices such as yoga, mindfulness, and “box breathing”, wherein repeating cycles of inhalations, breath-holds, and exhalations each lasting four seconds relieve stress.
Potential Benefits of the Discovery
The implications of this discovery extend beyond understanding our bodies to possibly generating a novel category of drugs aimed at combatting anxiety disorders. These drugs would fundamentally differ from their contemporaries like Xanax and Lexapro, which impact multiple brain areas and thereby carry the risk of causing undesirable side effects. Targeting specific circuits in our brain would increase the effectiveness of the medication and decrease potential side effects. Also, in severe cases, these carefully crafted drugs might prove more beneficial than breathing exercises.
Anxiety and Fear
The team is also investigating the existence of an opposite, or fast breathing circuit, that raises anxiety levels. Understanding this contrasting circuit could help avoid targeting it unnecessarily when trying to alleviate anxiety.
Despite these exciting possibilities, the path to a “yoga pill” may stretch far into the future. The research and following clinical trials could span as much as a decade. Moreover, there is no guarantee of a direct link between this study and the development of new medication. However, as the pathway stands revealed, the exciting journey has begun.
While the thought of a “yoga pill” remains tantalizing, the road to such a breakthrough is long and winding. The brave step into exploring neurosciences and studying brain mechanisms might not always yield immediate fruits, but every effort is instrumental to our collective wellness. The possibility of a safer, more targeted way of managing anxiety disorders stands as a testament to the leaps and bounds neuroscience has and continues to make in bettering our lives.