Neuropsychiatric disorders associated with anxiety alter the expression of genes and accelerate the maturation of the memory center in the brain.
Anxiety, in its pathological manifestations, can cause the brain to age prematurely. A genetic signature linked to a form of premature aging has been identified in the emotion and memory control unit of mice and humans suffering from a series of anxiety-related disorders. The hypothesis put forward by the study, published on Neuropsychopharmacologyis that a “hyper-maturity” of the brain could constitute a “molecular signature” common to many psychiatric disorders, and serve for diagnoses or as a target for new therapies.
More mature than necessary
A group of scientists from Fujita Health University in Toyoake, Japan, has identified the signature of this hyper-maturity in the expression of genes in mice suffering from various neuropsychiatric disorders (such as generalized anxiety disorder, depression, schizophrenia) or neurodegeneration.
The way the genes expressed themselves in animals with these conditions was typical of an advanced stage of aging in the hippocampus, a key center of learning, emotion and memory in the brain. The genes associated with hypermaturity were involved in synaptic processes, that is, in the connections between neurons. The hippocampus is known for its remarkable plasticity, that is, the ability to modify its structure and functionality in response to stimuli and experiences.
The role of hormones
In mice, hippocampal hypermaturity was associated with increased anxiety-like behaviors. Hormones may be linking the two: rodents chronically exposed to corticosterone, a hormone typically influenced by stressful conditions, showed both abnormal aging of the hippocampus and increased anxiety. Therefore, stress contributed both to behavioral anomalies and to unusual aging of the brain.
The effects on humans
Finally, the researchers analyzed the expression of hippocampal genes in post-mortem brain tissues of patients with depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, conditions often associated with anxiety, finding partial overlaps between hippocampal hypermaturity and genetic profiles typical of aging. The observation confirmed the idea, already proposed in the past, that psychological stress “turbocharges” biological aging.
Recognizing the genetic signatures of abnormal aging could pave the way for new therapies for conditions that cause the brain to mature prematurely. «Brain development and aging are not fixed or linear processes; rather, they are dynamically regulated by factors such as neuronal activity, stress, and inflammation. If we can unravel these mechanisms and discover ways to regulate them, we could finally pave the way for brain rejuvenation strategies, with potential applications in both psychiatric treatment and anti-aging interventions” says Tsuyoshi Miyakawa, the neuroscientist who coordinated the study.
