See Pain, Gain Strength: Mice’s Lesson on Resilience
Mice that observed others experiencing harm showed increased resilience against depressive states when facing similar challenges themselves.
This resilience was linked to heightened serotonin release in a specific brain area, suggesting that witnessing graded trauma can enhance the ability to handle future stresses. The findings also propose adjustments to the existing models of depression, with potential applications in treating depression, PTSD, and addiction.
Observing Pain Builds Resilience
“Bystander” mice that briefly watched other mice be harmed show fewer signs of behavioral despair when faced with their own harmful event, compared to mice who do not observe their fellow mice being harmed.
The negative emotional contagion experienced by the bystander mice appears to build resilience against a depressive-like state, according to new research by Sarah Mondoloni and colleagues.
Key Role of Serotonin in Resilience
Mondoloni et al. demonstrate that resilience in these mice requires an increase in serotonin release in a part of the brain called the lateral habenula.
“These findings support the notion that, as is the case in humans, graded trauma can be resilience-promoting, enabling individuals to cope with future challenges,” the researchers write.
hey also note that their findings may refine the current model of the key neuronal circuits involved in depression. The negative emotional contagion in bystander mice was produced when they watched their cagemates receive a mild foot shock, prior to their own shock experience.
The researchers suggest that serotonin release helps produce bystander resilience by reducing neuronal bursting in the lateral habenula. This type of neuronal hyperactivity underlies depressive behaviors in the mice.
Broader Relevance to Mental Health Treatment
In a related Perspective, Martin Metzger and Jose Donato Jr. say the findings “have great potential relevance to be incorporated into the treatment of major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.”
For more on this research, see Discover the Brain’s Hidden Power To Bounce Back From Hardship.
References:
“Serotonin release in the habenula during emotional contagion promotes resilience” by Sarah Mondoloni, Patricia Molina, Salvatore Lecca, Cheng-Hsi Wu, Léo Michel, Denys Osypenko, Fanchon Cachin, Meghan Flanigan, Mauro Congiu, Arnaud L. Lalive, Thomas Kash, Fei Deng, Yulong Li and Manuel Mameli, 5 September 2024, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adp3897
“Emotional contagion builds resilience” by Martin Metzger and Jose DonatoJr., 5 September 2024, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adr9296
