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Zhang XY, Wu WX, Shen LP, Ji MJ, Zhao PF, Yu L, Yin J, Xie ST, Xie YY, Zhang YX, Li HZ, Zhang QP, Yan C, Wang F, De Zeeuw CI, Wang JJ, Zhu JN. A role for the cerebellum in motor-triggered alleviation of anxiety. Neuron 2024; 112:1165-1181.e8. [PMID: 38301648 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Physical exercise is known to reduce anxiety, but the underlying brain mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we explore a hypothalamo-cerebello-amygdalar circuit that may mediate motor-dependent alleviation of anxiety. This three-neuron loop, in which the cerebellar dentate nucleus takes center stage, bridges the motor system with the emotional system. Subjecting animals to a constant rotarod engages glutamatergic cerebellar dentate neurons that drive PKCδ+ amygdalar neurons to elicit an anxiolytic effect. Moreover, challenging animals on an accelerated rather than a constant rotarod engages hypothalamic neurons that provide a superimposed anxiolytic effect via an orexinergic projection to the dentate neurons that activate the amygdala. Our findings reveal a cerebello-limbic pathway that may contribute to motor-triggered alleviation of anxiety and that may be optimally exploited during challenging physical exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Wen-Xia Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Li-Ping Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Jiangnan University Medical Center, Wuxi 214002, China
| | - Miao-Jin Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Peng-Fei Zhao
- Early Intervention Unit, Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Lei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Institute of Physical Education, Jiangsu Second Normal University, Nanjing 211200, China
| | - Jun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shu-Tao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yun-Yong Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yang-Xun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hong-Zhao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Qi-Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chao Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Early Intervention Unit, Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3015 CN Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jian-Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jing-Ning Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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