Disorders such as anxiety, depression, or drug addiction may have their origin in the delicate bond between painful and positive experiences. Thus, the brain circuits that manage events on both sides can cancel each other out, with positive and negative experiences connected. Its imbalance is what would cause this type of disorder . It is one of the conclusions of the latest study carried out by a team of neuroscientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and collected by the journal Nature .
To shed light on this issue, the experts analyzed live through the advanced neuroimaging technique called optogenetics (which allows to activate or deactivate an area of the brain with light), the brains of mice that experienced pleasure or pain (through treats or shocks electrical).
The results revealed that the circuits that control both experiences are connected and that they are also capable of canceling each other out . That is, negative or painful events are not only presented as negative to our brain but also weaken the capacity of the opposite side: our brain has a harder time processing positive sensations after a negative experience and vice versa .
This work reveals that both the basolateral amygdala (associated with pain and fear) and the nucleus accumbens (associated with feelings of pleasure and reward) are interconnected and intertwined as if they were a pendulum . “Our work shows that there is an interaction between the positive and negative valence [of the sensations] and we believe that this is why it is relevant for the psychiatric study. Chronic stress and severe anxiety can lead to depression, which may be related to the suppression of reward circuits due to overactive pain or fear circuits , ”explains Kay Tye, leader of the study.
Can we learn to reconnect this brain wiring to cure these disorders?
