Anxiety

Recent articles

Why emotion research is stuck—and how to move it forward

Studying how organisms infer indirect threats and understand changing contexts can establish a common framework that bridges species and levels of analysis.

By Joshua P. Johansen
26 January 2026 | 0 min watch
Abstract flowing shapes.

Perimenopause: An important—and understudied—transition for the brain

Many well-known perimenopause symptoms arise in the brain, but we still know little about the specific mechanisms at play. More research—in both animals and humans—is essential.

By Marija Kundakovic
12 November 2025 | 6 min read
Illustration of a brain surrounded by a stylized silhouette of a human head with psychedelic colors and textures.

Why we need basic science to better understand the neurobiology of psychedelics

Despite the many psychedelics clinical trials underway, there is still much we don’t know about how these drugs work. Preclinical studies represent our best viable avenue to answer these lingering questions.

By Devin Effinger, Melissa Herman
1 October 2025 | 6 min read
Hands arrange various shapes over a color background.

Emotion research has a communication conundrum

In 2025, the words we use to describe emotions matter, but their definitions are controversial. Here, I unpack the different positions in this space and the rationales behind them—and I invite 13 experts to chime in.

By Nicole Rust
5 September 2025 | 29 min read
Research image of neurons in the interpeduncular nucleus.

‘Understudied secret’ in brain dampens nicotine drive in mice

The interpeduncular nucleus produces an aversion to nicotine, even at low doses, and helps moderate how rewarding mice find the drug.

By Lauren Schenkman
4 June 2025 | 4 min read
Tiger in a brain scanner.

Lions and tigers and bears: Long-lived zoo animals offer a promising venue to study mental health and neurodegenerative disorders

These animals’ lifestyles often mirror those of people, making them a more relevant milieu than lab mice for determining how environmental factors influence mental health and cognitive decline. Studying them could improve animal welfare in the process.

By Christine J. Charvet
17 March 2025 | 4 min read
Illustration of a body, brain visible through a transparent head, looking at orange circles over its hands.

Rethinking mental health: The body’s impact on the brain

Mounting evidence illustrates how peripheral molecules can influence brain function, offering new therapeutic targets.

By Georgia E. Hodes
11 February 2025 | 6 min read
Two rhesus macaque monkeys.

Vasopressin boosts sociability in solitary monkeys

Inhaling the hormone did not increase aggression in unsociable rhesus macaques and appears to help the animals remember faces and reciprocate friendly behaviors.

By Charles Q. Choi
25 November 2024 | 5 min read
Research image of mouse brain slices.

Newfound gene network controls long-range connections between emotional, cognitive brain areas

The finding could help unravel gene regulatory networks and explain how genetic and environmental factors interact in neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Charles Q. Choi
14 November 2024 | 4 min read
Illustration of a mouse with cheese on its left and a drop of water on its right.

Should I stay (and eat) or should I go? How the brain balances hunger with competing drives

Understanding the interplay among rival signals, such as pain, thirst and fear, could provide insights into anxiety and other neuropsychiatric conditions.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
11 October 2024 | 8 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

NINDS building.

After NINDS director ouster, 40 neuroscience organizations press U.S. Congress for oversight over hiring process

A letter signed by the groups asks Congress to ensure that scientific expertise remains a priority in the search for a new director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

By Angie Voyles Askham
23 January 2026 | 3 min read
Curvy lines link brain scans and a world map.

BRAIN Initiative researchers ‘dream big’ amid shifts in leadership, funding

But whether the initiative’s road map for the next decade is feasible remains an open question.

By Claudia López Lloreda
23 January 2026 | 6 min read
Two piggy banks whose slots form a plus symbol and a minus symbol.

Neuroscience, BRAIN Initiative gain budget in ‘bad’ NIH funding bill

The bill goes before the House of Representatives today and outlines increases for neuroscience-related research—including a 33 percent increase to the BRAIN Initiative—but maintains a multiyear spending approach that could limit the number of grants awarded overall.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 January 2026 | 4 min read

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