Scientists Artificially Raise , Heart Rates of Mice , to Induce Anxious Behavior .<br />'Newsweek' reports that a recent study <br />showing that anxiety can be created by the body <br />may have serious implications for humans.<br />Scientists demonstrated that artificially <br />raising a mouse's heart rate resulted <br />in the rodent exhibiting anxious behavior. .<br />Karl Deisseroth, an author of the study <br />at Stanford University, said that he was , "intrigued by epidemiology linking primary <br />cardiac disorders with panic attacks.".<br />But there was no way of proving <br />a causal link arising from cardiac <br />abnormalities, since there was no <br />way of specifically and directly <br />controlling cardiac function <br />in real time in behaving animals, Karl Deisseroth, study author at Stanford University, via 'Newsweek'.<br />But there was no way of proving <br />a causal link arising from cardiac <br />abnormalities, since there was no <br />way of specifically and directly <br />controlling cardiac function <br />in real time in behaving animals, Karl Deisseroth, study author at Stanford University, via 'Newsweek'.<br />'Newsweek' reports that the team developed <br />a non-invasive optogenetic pacemaker which allowed <br />them to control a lab mouse's cardiac rhythms.<br />The researchers were able to make the lab mice's hearts <br />beat faster, reaching 900 beats per minute (bpm), <br />about 300 bpm faster than their resting heart rates. .<br />The researchers were able to make the lab mice's hearts <br />beat faster, reaching 900 beats per minute (bpm), <br />about 300 bpm faster than their resting heart rates. .<br />We found that directly pacing the heart <br />at higher rates caused increases in <br />anxiety-related symptoms, especially <br />in potentially risky environments, Karl Deisseroth, study author at Stanford University, via 'Newsweek'.<br />We found that directly pacing the heart <br />at higher rates caused increases in <br />anxiety-related symptoms, especially <br />in potentially risky environments, Karl Deisseroth, study author at Stanford University, via 'Newsweek'.<br />This effect was mediated by communication <br />from heart muscle-cell activity to <br />the insular cortex in the brain, Karl Deisseroth, study author at Stanford University, via 'Newsweek'.<br />The team's findings were published in , the journal 'Nature.'
