Review
Neurosciences
Davide Sattin, Francesca Giulia Magnani, Laura Bartesaghi, Milena Caputo, Andrea Veronica Fittipaldo, Martina Cacciatore, Mario Picozzi, Matilde Leonardi
Summary: The immense amount of knowledge on human consciousness has led to a variety of viewpoints, making it challenging to compare and synthesize recent scientific perspectives. This study aimed to collect and synthesize various theories on consciousness published between 2007-2017, revealing heterogeneity in the analyzed theories. The research focused on neural correlates of consciousness in sub-cortical and cortical structures, with diverse definitions and new sub-classifications emerging.
Article
Neurosciences
Yarden Cohen, Tatiana A. Engel, Christopher Langdon, Grace W. Lindsay, Torben Ott, Megan A. K. Peters, James M. Shine, Vincent Breton-Provencher, Srikanth Ramaswamy
Summary: This review article presents recent advancements in the study of biological and artificial neural networks, discussing the critical mechanisms that contribute to the improvement of artificial neural network architecture and training algorithms. It also explores how artificial neural networks have been used to understand neuronal correlates of cognition and process large-scale behavioral data.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Eduardo Dominguez-Rivas, Evangelina Avila-Munoz, Stephan W. Schwarzacher, Angelica Zepeda
Summary: Continuous generation of new neurons occurs in at least two well-defined niches in the adult rodent brain, with one of them being the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. Hippocampal neurogenesis is essential for pattern separation and involves the activation of neural stem cells and integration of newly generated neurons into hippocampal circuits. The neurogenic process is modulated by intrinsic factors like neuroinflammation.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Laura Tartari Neves, Lisie Valeria Paz, Andrea Wieck, Regis Gemerasca Mestriner, Valentina Aguiar Cardozo de Miranda Monteiro, Leder Leal Xavier
Summary: Environmental enrichment (EE) is a form of stimulation that improves sensory, cognitive, and motor stimuli, leading to stroke recovery in animal models. Stroke is a major cause of mortality and disability, emphasizing the importance of developing strategies for patient recovery.
TRANSLATIONAL STROKE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Silvia Poggini, Maria Banqueri Lopez, Naomi Ciano Albanese, Maria Teresa Golia, Fernando Gonzalez Ibanez, Cristina Limatola, Martin Furhmann, Maciej Lalowski, Marie -Eve Tremblay, Laura Maggi, Bozena Kaminska, Igor Branchi
Summary: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and potentially life-threatening illness that affects millions of people worldwide. The currently available treatments for cognitive deficits in MDD are limited. However, minocycline, an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties, has shown potential as a treatment for cognitive impairment. This study explored the effects of minocycline on cognition in a mouse model of depression, and found that minocycline improved cognitive performance and hippocampal plasticity in the short term, but had no lasting effects on microglia.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose Luis Perez Velazquez, Diego M. Mateos, Ramon Guevara
Summary: Our purpose is to address the biological problem of finding foundations of the organization in the collective activity among cell networks in the nervous system, at the meso/macroscale, giving rise to cognition and consciousness. We propose that a necessary condition for cognition/consciousness to emerge is to have available enough energy, or cellular activity; and a sufficient condition is the multiplicity of configurations in which cell networks can communicate, resulting in non-uniform energy distribution, the generation and dissipation of energy gradients due to the constant activity. These ideas may reveal possible fundamental principles of brain organization that could be extended to other natural phenomena and how healthy activity may derive to pathological states.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robyn J. Crook
Summary: Research shows that octopuses, the most neurologically complex invertebrates, display cognitive behaviors indicative of pain-like emotions, suggesting that they may experience the affective component of pain. This study provides new evidence for the debate on whether invertebrates can feel pain.
Article
Neurosciences
Han-jun Wu, Wen-ning Wu, Hua Fan, Liu-er Liu, Jin-qiong Zhan, Yi-heng Li, Chun-nuan Chen, Shu-zhen Jiang, Jian-wen Xiong, Zhi-Min Yu, Bo Wei, Wei Wang, Yuan-jian Yang
Summary: This study reveals the importance of klotho in the pathogenesis of depression by regulating the function of GluN2B-containing NMDARs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Knockdown of klotho in the NAc induces depression-related behavioral changes, while overexpression of klotho produces an antidepressive effect. These findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of major depression.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Saurabh Thapliyal, Isabel Beets, Dominique A. Glauser
Summary: Animals integrate multiple inputs to switch between different behavioral states, such as dwelling, scanning, global or glocal search, matching their thermoregulatory and feeding needs. The transition between states involves regulation of various processes, including sensory neuron activity, neuropeptide expression, and circuit responsiveness. Specific neuropeptide signaling acts on inhibitory GPCR(s) to promote scanning or glocal search, bypassing dopamine and glutamate-dependent control. The integration of multimodal context in sensory circuits represents a conserved regulatory logic for flexible prioritization of multiple inputs during persistent behavioral state transitions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Jennifer Mather
Summary: Animal welfare consideration and actions are often focused on large mammals similar to humans, neglecting invertebrates due to lack of knowledge about them. However, recent exploration of the oceans and new scientific findings have revealed that cephalopods, such as octopuses, are far more intelligent than previously believed. This led to the European Union demanding better care for captive cephalopods, while public opinion has been positively influenced by anecdotes and books highlighting the interesting and intelligent behavior of cephalopods. Octopuses have started to be featured in aquariums, signaling a shift towards valuing the welfare of invertebrate animals. This may pave the way for a broader understanding that different species are also worthy of consideration and care.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tamar Guntick, Andrea Neef, Andrii Cherninskyi, Fabienne Ziadi-Kunzli, Anna Di Cosmo, Hans-Peter Lipp, Michael J. Kuba
Summary: Octopuses are highly intelligent invertebrates with no skeleton, possessing eight flexible arms that are controlled by a complex central nervous system. Their brain contains numerous distinct lobes and a large number of neurons, and by implanting electrodes, we have successfully recorded their brain activity and synchronized it with their behavior using a portable data logger.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Chao Wang, Zhou Fang
Summary: This study analyzed the ontogenetic variation and sexual dimorphism of beak shape in Octopus minor, Uroteuthis edulis, Sepia esculenta, and Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis in China's coastal waters using geometric morphometrics methods. The results showed significant differences in beak shape among different ontogenetic stages, and these differences may be related to habitat-driven variation.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Marcin Koculak, Michal Wierzchon
Summary: This paper argues that exploring the relationship between complexity and conscious content is necessary for understanding the importance of information-theoretic measures in consciousness research.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Yoni Zion Amir, Yaniv Assaf, Yossi Yovel, Liad Mudrik
Summary: The debate on the dissociation between phenomenal (P) and access (A) consciousness is widely discussed. Previous empirical evidence for P-without-A consciousness is indirect, as participants already have access to their phenomenal experiences when reporting them. However, using a novel paradigm, we show that participants can retrospectively judge the quality of stimuli despite lacking online access to them, indicating that P and A consciousness can be empirically distinguished.
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Leonard Dung, Albert Newen
Summary: The science of animal consciousness investigates the distribution and quality of conscious experience in different animal species. A two-tier account is proposed to distinguish and address both questions, using ten dimensions of consciousness and cognitive capacities as operationalizations. This framework achieves three valuable aims: separating strong and weak indicators of consciousness, including differences in specific contents and in the processing of those contents, and combining evidence from each dimension to derive a multi-dimensional consciousness profile for different species.
Review
Physiology
Antonio Sykes, Eduardo Almansa, Giovanna Ponte, Gavan M. Cooke, Paul L. R. Andrews
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Giovanna Ponte, Morag Taite, Luciana Borrelli, Andrea Tarallo, A. Louise Allcock, Graziano Fiorito
Summary: This study analyzes existing quantitative data on cephalopod brains and identifies ten clusters grouping 52 species. Attempting a phylogenetic PCA reveals limited impact due to the small number of species considered. Preliminary findings suggest that brains in cephalopods evolved based on factors such as phylogeny, possible development, and lifestyle adaptations.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROANATOMY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Pamela Imperadore, Roberta Galli, Martin J. Winterhalder, Andreas Zumbusch, Ortrud Uckermann
Summary: This study applied label-free imaging technique to investigate the injured arm of Octopus vulgaris, revealing the tissue architecture and elements of the arm, as well as providing morpho-chemical information about the regenerative phases. This method shows potential for regenerative studies in cephalopods and other non-model species.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Giuseppe Petrosino, Giovanna Ponte, Massimiliano Volpe, Ilaria Zarrella, Federico Ansaloni, Concetta Langella, Giulia Di Cristina, Sara Finaurini, Monia T. Russo, Swaraj Basu, Francesco Musacchia, Filomena Ristoratore, Dinko Pavlinic, Vladimir Benes, Maria I. Ferrante, Caroline Albertin, Oleg Simakov, Stefano Gustincich, Graziano Fiorito, Remo Sanges
Summary: This study identifies transposable elements with retrotranspositional competence in Octopus vulgaris and Octopus bimaculoides, and shows evidence that they are transcribed and may determine germline and somatic polymorphisms, especially in the brain. The study also reports the transcription of thousands of putative lncRNAs and the inclusion of TE fragments in the transcriptomes of both octopus species, highlighting the crucial activity of TEs in the evolution of octopus genomes.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Giovanna Ponte, Katina Roumbedakis, Viola Galligioni, Ludovic Dickel, Cecile Bellanger, Joao Pereira, Erica Ag Vidal, Panos Grigoriou, Enrico Alleva, Daniela Santucci, Claudia Gili, Giovanni Botta, Pamela Imperadore, Andrea Tarallo, Lars Juergens, Emily Northrup, David Anderson, Arianna Arico, Marianna De Luca, Eleonora Maria Pieroni, Graziano Fiorito
Summary: In this article, species-specific recommendations for the housing, care, and management of cephalopod mollusks employed for research purposes are listed, with the aim of standardizing the minimum requirements for their establishments, care, and accommodation in compliance with Directive 2010/63/EU. The prioritization of maximizing their psychophysical welfare is emphasized. The general recommendations on water surface area, water depth, and tank shape provided here are based on an analysis of available literature and a consensus reached among researchers working with the most commonly used cephalopod species in Europe, under the COST Action FA1301. Information on water supply and quality, environmental conditions, stocking density, feeding, and handling is also included. Through this work, the authors hope to promote evidence-based approaches to cephalopod laboratory maintenance, facilitating standardization and replicability of research outcomes across laboratories, while also maximizing the welfare of these animals.
LABORATORY ANIMALS
(2023)
Review
Physiology
Paul L. R. Andrews, Giovanna Ponte, Carlos Rosas
Summary: Current understanding of cephalopod digestive tract physiology is mainly based on older literature and data from multiple species. The anatomical differences between cephalopod species caution against extrapolating data on digestive system physiology. An overview of anatomy and histology techniques is provided, followed by a review of current knowledge on major digestive tract functions and the techniques used to study them. Knowledge gaps are identified, calling for more systematic research in this field.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ruth Styfhals, Grygoriy Zolotarov, Gert Hulselmans, Katina I. Spanier, Suresh Poovathingal, Ali M. Elagoz, Seppe De Winter, Astrid Deryckere, Nikolaus Rajewsky, Giovanna Ponte, Graziano Fiorito, Stein Aerts, Eve Seuntjens
Summary: This study analyzed the cell types in the octopus brain and constructed a cell type atlas. The research found that the octopus brain has diverse cell types, which share common gene features with cell types in other species. Additionally, transcriptionally related cell types were found in different brain regions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Fabio De Sio, Pamela Imperadore
Summary: The establishment of marine stations in the late 19th century has enabled biologists to study many marine organisms, and cephalopod mollusks have drawn attention due to their adaptability to captivity and unique features including sophisticated behavior and complex nervous system. However, the study of tissue regeneration in cephalopods has been limited despite its centuries-old knowledge. This article reviews previous studies, discusses the peripherality of cephalopods in regeneration research, and explores the growing relevance of cephalopods as models for regeneration in contemporary biology and medicine.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Pamela Imperadore, Stefano Cagnin, Vittoria Allegretti, Caterina Millino, Francesca Raffini, Graziano Fiorito, Giovanna Ponte
Summary: The study selected 77 candidate reference genes, evaluated their expression stabilities in different tissues, and identified Ov-RNF7, Ov-RIOK2, Ov-EIF2A, and Ov-CUL1 as stable reference genes for various tissues. The expression profiles of nine target genes in different areas of the octopus nervous system were validated using these reference genes.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Physiology
Natraj Krishnan, Tetsuya Tanaka, Graziano Fiorito, Fernando Ariel Genta, Pamela Imperadore
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Antonio Sykes, Viola Galligioni, Juan Estefanell, Stuart Hetherington, Marco Brocca, Joao Correia, Andre Ferreira, Eleonora M. Pieroni, Graziano Fiorito
Summary: This article discusses research on cephalopod molluscs and the challenges of captive breeding. The need for specific recommendations on the capture and transport of these animals is highlighted. The authors provide suggestions for standardized assessment methods and a training program.
LABORATORY ANIMALS
(2023)