SIDS and serotonin

Brain chemical implicated in sporadic changes and death in mice similar to SIDS-symptoms

Changing how the brain uses the chemical serotonin can cause unexpected, sporadic death—at least in mice, an Italian team reports in the July 3 Science.

A SURPRISE DIP This image shows the dark mass of a brainstem in an abnormal mouse. Graphs showing sudden dips in the mouse’s body temperature and heart rate, similar to what occurs with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, are printed over the brainstem.