How Are Social Isolation and Anxiety Connected

(MENAFN) Chinese scientists have discovered that prolonged social isolation triggers iron buildup in targeted brain regions, directly causing anxiety, media reported Monday.

The groundbreaking research, published in Cell Metabolism, involved collaboration between experts from South China University of Technology, Zhejiang University and Southern Medical University. Scientists employed a mouse model replicating extended periods of social isolation.

The investigation revealed that mice confined to solitary housing experienced abnormal iron accumulation within the ventral hippocampus—a critical brain structure governing emotional regulation.

Advanced analysis demonstrated that surplus iron functions as a false signal, activating a molecule called iron-α-synuclein. This activation sparks excessive neuronal activity, mimicking an electrical malfunction that continuously transmits anxiety signals throughout the body.

The mechanism selectively impacts the brain's emotional processing center, producing a stress response directly connected to social isolation.

Scientists administered various compounds through nasal delivery to mice, targeting molecular iron levels. The intervention dramatically diminished anxiety-driven behaviors.

Wang Zhuo, serving as both first and corresponding author of the study, stated the findings open a path toward developing new treatments that are non-invasive, reversible and independent of traditional anti-anxiety medication.

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