Orexins and fear: implications for the treatment of anxiety disorders

An understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of fear is essential for the development of new treatments for anxiety disorders, such as phobias, panic, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Orexins, also known as hypocretins, are neuropeptides located exclusivel...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Flores de los Heros, África, 1985-, Saravia Santos, Rocio, 1988-, Maldonado, Rafael, 1961-, Berrendero Díaz, Fernando, 1971-
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:España
Institución:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/25638
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/25638
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2015.06.005
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ansietat
Orexines
Amygdala
Anxiety
Fear
Orexin
Prefrontal cortex
Descripción
Sumario:An understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of fear is essential for the development of new treatments for anxiety disorders, such as phobias, panic, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Orexins, also known as hypocretins, are neuropeptides located exclusively in hypothalamic neurons that have extensive projections throughout the central nervous system. Although this system was initially believed to be primarily involved in the regulation of feeding behavior, recent studies have shown that orexins also modulate neural circuits implicated in the expression and extinction of fear memories. Here, we discuss recent findings involving orexins in anxiety disorders and current clinical trials using orexin ligands that could be applied to identify new therapies for diseases characterized by pathological fear.