The brain and the heart can work in tandem to produce anxiety, according to a new mice study. The study, published in the journal Nature, detangles the link whether emotions drive bodily functions or vice versa. It showed that while fear and anxiety can make your heart beat faster, the reverse is also true.

To understand, the team increased the heart rate of a mouse. The results showed that speeding up a mouse's heart rate made otherwise calm animals act more anxious. The finding suggests that lowering heart rate may be a way to treat mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.