Scientists find brain cells that drive cannabis-induced anxiety

Northwestern University researchers identified somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala that drive anxiety-like behavior in mice given high doses of a synthetic cannabinoid. The drug and environmental stress together released the "brake" on these cells, boosting anxiety. The study appeared October 2 in Nature Communications.

• Mice on the cannabinoid froze more and investigated fox odor less
• Key cells are somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala
• Silencing those neurons reduced avoidance of the predator scent
• Whether the same mechanism applies to humans remains untested