Olfactory modulation of stress-response neural circuits

Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 01 August 2023; doi:10.1038/s12276-023-01048-3Research into the mechanisms through which the sense of smell controls stress responses provides insights into how stress-related environmental cues are perceived in the brain. Smells are important signals enabling animals to sense and cope with environmental changes. A major nervous system associated with stress responses involves corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons (CRHNs) in the hypothalamus. Eun Jeong Lee and colleagues at Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea, and Kunio Kondoh at the National Institute of Natural Sciences in Okazaki, Japan, review what is known about neural circuits influencing CRHNs. They focus on olfactory systems exciting or suppressing the activities of CRHNs that can initiate stress responses. New insights into the mechanisms involved could help understand and perhaps control animal behavior, with potential clinical applications for treating stress in humans.

Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - August 1, 2023 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Min-Gi Shin Yiseul Bae Ramsha Afzal Kunio Kondoh Eun Jeong Lee Source Type: research