ANXIETY-like behaviours in older mice were linked to increased activity of a specific brain ion channel, according to new research that could help guide the development of more effective treatments for older adults.
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions worldwide, affecting both younger and older individuals. However, many current therapies were developed using younger populations and often show reduced effectiveness in older adults, highlighting the need for a better understanding of how ageing alters the brain circuits involved in anxiety.
Why Anxiety Treatments for Older Adults Remain Limited
As populations continue to age, researchers have increasingly focused on identifying biological mechanisms that may contribute to changes in emotional health later in life.
Understanding these age-related changes could support the development of therapies tailored specifically to older patients rather than relying on treatments designed for younger adults.
In the new study, researchers investigated anxiety-like behaviour in aged mice and examined activity within the nucleus accumbens core, a brain region involved in reward, motivation, and emotional processing.
BK Channel Activity Increased with Age
The team found that older mice displayed higher levels of anxiety-like behaviour than younger animals.
Further investigation revealed that ageing was associated with increased activity of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels in dopamine receptor D1-expressing medium spiny neurons within the nucleus accumbens core.
This increase in BK channel activity reduced the excitability of these neurons, making them less active. The findings suggest that ageing alters neuronal signalling in a way that may contribute to heightened anxiety-like behaviours.
To determine whether these changes were directly responsible for the behavioural effects, the researchers experimentally manipulated BK channel activity in younger mice.
Reproducing and Reversing Anxiety-Like Behaviour
When BK channel activity was artificially increased in young mice, the animals developed anxiety-like behaviours similar to those observed in naturally aged mice. In contrast, normalising BK channel activity in older mice reversed these elevated anxiety-like behaviours.
Together, these findings suggest that increased BK channel activity plays a key role in the behavioural changes seen with ageing and may represent an important biological mechanism linking age-related brain changes to anxiety.
A Potential Therapeutic Opportunity
Although the research was conducted in mice, the results identify BK channels as a promising target for future therapies aimed at older adults with anxiety disorders.
The authors noted that additional studies will be required to determine whether similar mechanisms occur in humans.
Nevertheless, the findings provide new insight into how ageing affects brain function and highlight a potential pathway for developing treatments better suited to the growing population of older adults experiencing anxiety.
Reference
Tian Y et al. BK channel overactivity in NAc core D1R-expressing neurons elevates anxiety with age in mice. Commun Biol. 2026;DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10406-6.
Featured image: Olga Tsikarishvili on Adobe Stock
