Publication Highlight: Cardiogenic Control of Affective Behavioural State
Hsueh, B. et al., Nature (2023)
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a non-invasive optogenetic pacemaker to directly pace cardiomyocytes and control cardiac rhythms. With growing interest in the Heart-Brain axis—and evidence linking increased heart rate variability with panic and anxiety-related disorders—this technology was used to explore how tachycardia influences anxiety-related behavior.
Key Findings:
Developed a non-invasive optogenetic pacemaker for either right or left ventricular pacing, capable of reliably driving heart rates up to 900 bpm.
Successfully paced the heart to 600, 800, and 1,000 bpm in vivo, confirmed using the Rodent Surgical Monitor for ECG validation.
Induced intermittent ventricular tachycardia to mimic non-sustained arrhythmias, leading to increased anxiety-related behavior in specific contexts.
Identified the posterior insular cortex as a key mediator of anxiety-related behaviors arising from cardiac pacing.
Inhibition of this brain region attenuated pacing-induced anxiety, suggesting integration of both central (brain) and peripheral (body) processes.
Conclusion and Next Steps:
This research highlights the importance of cardiac activity in shaping emotional states and anxiety-related behaviors. By introducing a non-invasive optical pacing method, researchers can now study the Heart-Brain axis with greater precision and reduced invasiveness. The Rodent Surgical Monitor played a key role in validating this work by enabling high-resolution ECG acquisition across a broad range of heart rates.
Future studies may further unravel how interoceptive signals from the heart influence higher-order brain functions and contribute to affective disorders.
References
Hsueh, B. et al. Cardiogenic control of affective behavioural state. Nature 615, 292–299 (2023).
Gorman, J. M. & Sloan, R. P. Heart rate variability in depressive and anxiety disorders. Am Heart J 140, (2000).
Wang, Z. et al. Heart rate variability in mental disorders: an umbrella review of meta-analyses. Transl Psychiatry 15, 1–11 (2025).
Allen, W. E. et al. Thirst-associated preoptic neurons encode an aversive motivational drive. Science 357, 1149–1155 (2017).
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