Study Reveals Brain-Wide Activity Patterns Trigging Emotions

• Scientists published a study mapping brain-wide activity patterns that trigger emotions.

• The study involved participants subjected to an eye puff assay, revealing that emotions outlast the initial trigger.

• Each puff causes a signal to be broadcast throughout the brain, followed by a slower, more persistent signal.

• The study found that specific circuits in the brain were activated, linked to the generation of an emotional response.

• Ketamine was administered to some participants to confirm this possibility.

• The study found that ketamine significantly altered spiking activity in some neurons but not others.

• Fast/reflexive responses corresponded with a sharp rise in activity in midbrain regions, including the thalamus and periaqueductal grey.

• The researchers dissected brain activity patterns by stages, focusing on how quickly activity increased after the eyepuff and how long it took to fade away.