Andy Bass L&S Biological Sciences
Identifying Subtypes of Beta Bursts in Anxiety-Related Brain Circuits
Anxiety is a common and often debilitating condition, yet we still lack tools to track how it changes in the brain in real time. Recent research has identified brief bursts of coordinated activity between the amygdala and hippocampus in the beta frequency range that appear to reflect moment-to-moment changes in anxiety. These beta bursts are observed in both humans and animal models and increase just before animals avoid potentially threatening environments. My project asks whether these bursts are all the same or whether they represent different patterns of communication across brain circuits.
To answer this, I will analyze neural recordings, focusing on how the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex interact during each burst. Using computational methods to identify patterns in the data, I will test whether beta bursts can be grouped into distinct types. This work aims to better explain how the brain organizes anxiety and improve how we interpret a promising neural signal that could help guide future mental health research.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you for your support in funding my research. I am excited for the opportunity to continue exploring neuroscience through this project. This work will strengthen my analytical skills and bring me closer to my goal of developing neurotechnologies that can better understand and improve mental health.