FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·May 14, 2026·6 min readBrain Immune Cells Drive Compulsive BehaviorIs anxiety an immune response? New research reveals that Hoxb8 microglia, specialized immune cells in the brain, use calcium signaling to switch anxiety and grooming behaviors on and off.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·October 22, 2019·4 min readA link between unique brain cells and OCD and anxietyMice with dysfunctional Hoxb8-lineage microglia exhibited excessive overgrooming behaviors that resemble trichotillomania in humans. Female sex hormones also caused more severe OCD-like behaviors and increased anxiety in the mouse models.Read More
