Article
Behavioral Sciences
Christine Lalonde, Julie Grandbois, Sandhya Khurana, Alyssa Murray, Sujeenthar Tharmalingam, T. C. Tai
Summary: The study found that exposure to synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone during late gestation can lead to disrupted behavior and genetic profiles in offspring. These offspring tend to exhibit passive stress-coping strategies and reduced anxiety in behavioral tasks. The gene expression changes in the prefrontal cortex of these animals suggest altered emotional response pathways, linking behavioral outcomes with genetic profiles.
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Biology
Rawan AlSubaie, Ryan W. S. Wee, Anne Ritoux, Karyna Mishchanchuk, Jessica Passlack, Daniel Regester, Andrew F. MacAskill
Summary: Projections from the basal amygdala to the ventral hippocampus provide information about rewarding or threatening stimuli to support appropriate behavior. These projections consist of both excitatory and inhibitory inputs that control the activity of downstream neurons, ultimately affecting goal-directed behavior.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Dominic Kaul, Sibylle G. Schwab, Naguib Mechawar, Natalie Matosin
Summary: Severe stress is a strong risk factor for psychiatric disorders, affecting the brain structure and cellular mechanisms which may lead to psychopathology. Understanding how stress shapes the human brain through cellular alterations is critical for improving treatment interventions and prevention outcomes.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Xuejun Jiang, Feng Wu, Yifan Zhang, Huizi Li, Jiahui Kang, Lingtao Kong, Fei Wang, Yanqing Tang
Summary: This study investigated the association between brain function and gender in bipolar disorder using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF). The results indicated gender differences in dysfunction of the cortico-limbic neural system in BD. Male and female patients with BD showed different patterns of ALFF in various brain regions.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Veronica Pastor, Jorge H. Medina
Summary: Information storage in the brain involves different memory types and stages, and cholinergic pathways through acetylcholine receptors play an active role in memory modulation. The alpha 7 subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors has been studied in relation to memory processing, but there is still limited information available. This review aims to identify the brain regions where alpha 7 nicotinic receptors are essential for different memory types and stages, and discuss their potential as pharmacological targets for memory impairment in neurological disorders.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Christine Stubbendorff, Carl W. Stevenson
Summary: Research has shown that dopamine plays a crucial role in regulating various contextual fear processes, although the related neurochemical mechanisms are still not fully understood. Understanding how dopamine regulates contextual fear can provide novel insights into the neurochemical modulation of neural circuit function underlying memory processing.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Z. A. Kovacs-Balint, J. Raper, R. Richardson, A. Gopakumar, K. P. Kettimuthu, M. Higgins, E. Feczko, E. Earl, K. F. Ethun, L. Li, M. Styner, D. Fair, J. Bachevalier, M. M. Sanchez
Summary: This study investigated the impact of male pubertal maturation on physical growth and the development of neural circuits regulating stress, emotional, and cognitive control using nonhuman primates as a model. By collecting longitudinal data, including physical and pubertal measures, as well as brain structural and functional MRI scans, the researchers found developmental changes in several brain regions and functional connectivity. Testicular size was a better predictor of brain structural maturation, while testosterone levels were strongly associated with functional connectivity development. Further research is expected to reveal more significant pubertal-dependent maturation in these neural circuits during and after male puberty.
DEVELOPMENTAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Weronika Szadzinska, Konrad Danielewski, Kacper Kondrakiewicz, Karolina Andraka, Evgeni Nikolaev, Marta Mikosz, Ewelina Knapska
Summary: Fear extinction training gradually changes the vHIP-PL connectivity, allowing for fear suppression. In the absence of fear suppression from the vHIP, signals from the BL play a dominant role, resulting in heightened fear levels.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Anabel M. M. Miguelez Fernandez, Hanna M. Molla, Daniel R. Thomases, Kuei Y. Tseng
Summary: The study shows that disruption of prefrontal cortex (PFC) alpha 7nAChR signaling impacts hippocampal and amygdalar transmission, with significant effects observed in adult rats. Prefrontal infusion of MLA affects trace fear-conditioning and extinction in an age-dependent manner, potentially due to the late-adolescent maturation of ventral hippocampal-PFC functional connectivity and its modulation by alpha 7nAChR signaling.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Vincenzo G. Fiore, Xiaosi Gu
Summary: The neural dynamics underlying belief updating remain consistent across tasks, but the network dynamics change depending on the presence or absence of trial-by-trial value-based outcomes after each choice selection.
Review
Neurosciences
Blake J. Laham, Elizabeth Gould
Summary: The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in brain development and plasticity. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), a specialized ECM structure, emerge during postnatal life and may be sensitive to experience. Recent studies have shown that stress affects both diffuse ECM and PNNs, with effects dependent on life stage and brain region. Considering the involvement of ECM in synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions, targeted therapies on ECM components could be effective in stress-induced neuropsychiatric diseases.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisabetta Baldi, Alessia Costa, Barbara Rani, Maria Beatrice Passani, Patrizio Blandina, Adele Romano, Gustavo Provensi
Summary: Exposure-based therapy is the main approach for treating pathological fear and anxiety symptoms; however, relapses are common due to the demanding and lengthy process. Combining cognitive therapy with pharmacological agents may improve efficacy. Oxytocin has shown anxiolytic effects and may strengthen inhibitory associations in fear extinction, with receptors found in critical brain regions for fear behavior.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Toya Okonogi, Takuya Sasaki
Summary: Studying rodent models has revealed the intricate relationship between neuronal oscillations in the brain and emotional behavior as well as psychiatric disorders. Specifically focusing on theta-range (4-12 Hz) oscillations offers insights into potential therapeutic interventions for ameliorating psychiatric symptoms and disorders in both rodents and humans.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nicole L. Zabik, Craig Peters, Allesandra Iadipaolo, Hilary A. Marusak, Christine A. Rabinak
Summary: This study explores the neural mechanisms underlying fear renewal and designs a novel immersive Pavlovian fear acquisition, extinction, recall, and renewal paradigm. It elicited greater corticolimbic activation in healthy adults and suggests that combining immersive Pavlovian fear conditioning with innately fearful stimuli may improve clinical interventions for fear-based disorders.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Physiology
Mark E. Bouton, Stephen Maren, Gavan P. McNally
Summary: This article reviewed the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, highlighting that both Pavlovian and operant extinction rely on new inhibitory learning rather than erasure of original learning. Neural circuitry involved in Pavlovian extinction includes the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, while instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits. Despite significant progress in the field in recent decades, a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding is still pending.
PHYSIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Ruben Garcia-Cabrerizo, Thaisa Barros-Santos, David Campos, John F. Cryan
Summary: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining physiological balance and immunity, and is associated with addiction. Animal studies have shown a link between reward and social processes, which can be influenced by the gut microbiota, impacting neurodevelopment and social behaviors across different species. Depletion of the gut microbiota alters reward responses to drug and social stimuli, with a decrease in drug reward and an increase in social reward. Additionally, depleting the gut microbiota in the presence of positive social stimuli attenuates cocaine reward. These findings suggest that targeting the microbiota and enhancing social behavior could be beneficial in reducing harm from drug use.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Caoimhe M. K. Lynch, Caitlin S. M. Cowan, Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen, Gerard M. Moloney, Nigel Theune, Marcel van de Wouw, Eva Florensa Zanuy, Ana Paula Ventura-Silva, Martin G. Codagnone, Francisca Villalobos-Manriquez, Matilde Segalla, Fatma Koc, Catherine Stanton, Paul Ross, Timothy G. Dinan, Gerard Clarke, John F. Cryan
Summary: Numerous studies have shown that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in neurodevelopment and behavior. Early-life exposure to antibiotics has been associated with increased risk of immune and metabolic diseases. Targeted antibiotic-induced disruption of the microbiota during critical developmental periods has enduring effects on physiology and behavior. This study demonstrates that microbiota disruption during early life alters the structure and function of the caecal microbiome, as well as immune cells and neurophysiology in adolescence. However, the effects on behavior are limited and subtle, suggesting the importance of the gut microbiota during critical windows of development.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Samuele Laudani, Sebastiano A. Torrisi, Silvia Alboni, Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen, Cristina Benatti, Veronica Rivi, Rachel D. Moloney, Virginia Fuochi, Pio M. Furneri, Filippo Drago, Salvatore Salomone, Fabio Tascedda, John F. Cryan, Gian Marco Leggio
Summary: Mounting evidence suggests a link between gut microbiota abnormalities and PTSD, but the influence of gut microbiota on PTSD susceptibility is poorly understood. This study demonstrates pre-trauma and post-trauma gut microbiota alterations in susceptible mice with persistent PTSD-related phenotypes. The findings suggest that gut microbiota abnormalities contribute to trauma susceptibility and could be a potential therapeutic target for PTSD.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Jessica Emily Green, Michael Berk, Mohammadreza Mohebbi, Amy Loughman, Amelia J. McGuinness, David Castle, Mary Lou Chatterton, Joahna Perez, Philip Strandwitz, Eugene Athan, Christopher Hair, Andrew A. Nierenberg, John F. Cryan, Felice Jacka
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a treatment for major depressive disorder. The results suggest that FMT is a feasible, acceptable, well-tolerated, and safe treatment for depression, supporting further research on its clinical efficacy.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Loreto Olavarria-Ramirez, Jennifer Cooney-Quane, Gillian Murphy, Cian P. McCafferty, John F. Cryan, Samantha Dockray
Summary: The microbiota-gut-brain axis is associated with various behaviors, but a conceptual framework is lacking. Understanding the effects of antibiotic-mediated gut microbiota depletion on anxiety and sociability in rodents is important for further research and translation into human studies. Thirteen research articles were reviewed, showing significant changes in gut microbiota composition and diversity in animals treated with antibiotics. However, there is no consensus on the impact of gut microbiota depletion on anxiety or social behavior. Gut microbiota depletion may be a useful strategy to investigate the role of gut microbes in anxiety and sociability, but rigorous animal studies are needed for translational implications on human health.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Beatriz Lobo, Monica Tramullas, Beate-C Finger, Kevin W. Lomasney, Caroll Beltran, Gerard Clarke, Javier Santos, Niall P. Hyland, Timothy G. Dinan, John F. Cryan
Summary: This study investigated the effects of chronic unpredictable psychological stress on intestinal motility and enteric function. The results showed that chronic stress led to increased food intake, weight gain, reduced stool output, and delayed gastrointestinal transit. Moreover, stress also decreased neural plasticity and monoamine levels in the intestine. These findings highlight the relationship between psychological stress and gut health.
JOURNAL OF NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Carina Carbia, Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen, Luigi Francesco Iannone, Ruben Garcia-Cabrerizo, Serena Boscaini, Kirsten Berding, Conall R. Strain, Gerard Clarke, Catherine Stanton, Timothy G. Dinan, John F. Cryan
Summary: This study investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on the gut microbiome and its association with social cognition, impulsivity, and craving. The results showed that binge drinking was associated with changes in the microbiome and difficulties in emotional recognition. Craving was strongly linked to alterations in the microbiome over time. These findings highlight the role of the gut microbiome as a regulator of social cognition and its relevance for addressing early alcohol-related issues during adolescence.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Monique C. P. Mendonca, Yao Sun, Michael F. Cronin, Andrew J. Lindsay, John F. Cryan, Caitriona M. O'Driscoll
Summary: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a genetic mutation, and effective treatment options are still lacking. In this study, cyclodextrin-based nanoparticles (CDs) were used as a delivery system for antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to target the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Modified gamma-CDs showed the highest efficiency in delivering ASOs and successfully downregulated the levels of mHTT protein. Incorporating a brain-targeting peptide into the modified gamma-CDs further improved the downregulation effect. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using CDs as a platform for delivering ASO-based therapeutics for the treatment of HD.
Review
Ecology
Rie Matsuzaki, Eoin Gunnigle, Violette Geissen, Gerard Clarke, Jatin Nagpal, John F. Cryan
Summary: The gut microbiota, influenced by various factors including exposure to pesticides, plays a crucial role in maintaining host health, particularly influencing the brain and behavior. Studies on animals have shown that pesticides can negatively impact the gut microbiota, physiology, and health, leading to behavioral impairments. This review aims to assess whether changes in gut microbiota composition and function induced by pesticides are responsible for these behavioral alterations. However, the diversity in pesticide types, exposure doses, and experimental designs hinders direct comparisons between studies, and the mechanistic connection between the gut microbiota and behavioral changes remains insufficiently explored.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
James M. Collins, Niall P. Hyland, Gerard Clarke, Patrick Fitzgerald, Marcela Julio-Pieper, David C. Bulmer, Timothy G. Dinan, John F. Cryan, Siobhain M. O'Mahony
Summary: The beta 3-AR agonist CL-316243 has been shown to reduce visceral hypersensitivity induced by early-life stress. It achieves this by altering tryptophan levels, affecting neuronal activation, and modulating colonic secretomotor activity.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jodi L. Pawluski, Pauline Murail, Florine Grudet, Lena Bys, Anna V. Golubeva, Thomaz Bastiaanssen, Tim F. Oberlander, John F. Cryan, Siobhain M. O'Mahony, Thierry D. Charlier
Summary: This study aimed to determine how peripartum SSRI treatment may prevent the effects of gestational stress on plasticity in the maternal hippocampus, plasticity in the neonatal brain, and related changes in gut microbiota. The findings show significant changes to the maternal microbiome-gut-brain axis that may mediate plasticity in the maternal hippocampus. Additionally, gestational stress has a significant impact on neonatal gut microbiota and brain microglia density, while the effects of SSRIs are limited. This is the first study to explore the impact of gestational stress and SSRIs on the microbiome-gut-brain axis in the mother and neonate.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
John R. Kelly, Gerard Clarke, Andrew Harkin, Sinead C. Corr, Stephen Galvin, Vishnu Pradeep, John F. Cryan, Veronica O'Keane, Timothy G. Dinan
Summary: Moving towards a systems psychiatry paradigm involves a comprehensive approach that considers complex interactions at different levels and takes into account external biofeedback signals. The gut microbiome, through the gut-brain axis, plays a critical role in unconscious parallel processing systems. The microbiota-gut-brain axis may have a role in different phases of psychedelic therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Sarah-Jane Leigh, Friederike Uhlig, Lars Wilmes, Paula Sanchez-Diaz, Cassandra E. Gheorghe, Michael S. Goodson, Nancy Kelley-Loughnane, Niall P. Hyland, John F. Cryan, Gerard Clarke
Summary: The physiological consequences of stress often affect the gastrointestinal tract, and understanding the mechanisms behind these effects is important in the fields of neurogastroenterology and psychiatry. Stress-induced changes in the gut can increase susceptibility to gastrointestinal disorders and impair gut-brain communication. The gut microbiota is also sensitive to the effects of stress. This review focuses on different aspects of the gastrointestinal tract, including gut barrier function and gut-brain communication, and discusses the evidence for a role of stress in gastrointestinal disorders.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2023)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marguerite M. Nyhan, John F. Cryan
Article
Neurosciences
Yang He, Jun Tang, Meng Zhang, Junjie Ying, Dezhi Mu
Summary: This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of human placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) transplantation in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The results showed that hPMSCs transplantation reduced apoptosis and improved long-term neurological prognosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of Sema 3A/NRP-1 expression and activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway played a key role in the protective effects of hPMSCs.
Article
Neurosciences
Emily L. Isenstein, Edward G. Freedman, Jiayi Xu, Ian A. DeAndrea-Lazarus, John J. Foxe
Summary: This study evaluated electrophysiological discrimination of parametric somatosensory stimuli in healthy young adults to understand how the brain processes the duration of tactile information. The results showed that participants did not electrophysiologically discriminate between 100 and 115 ms, but they exhibited distinct electrophysiological responses when the deviant stimuli were 130, 145, and 160 ms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of tactile sensitivity in different clinical conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Juliana R. Souza, Ludmila Lima-Silveira, Daniela Accorsi-Mendonca, Benedito H. Machado
Summary: This study demonstrates that A2A receptors play a crucial role in modulating synaptic transmission in the NTS neurons and are required for the enhancement of glutamatergic transmission observed under short-term sustained hypoxia conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Miki Hashizume, Rina Ito, Rie Suge, Yasushi Hojo, Gen Murakami, Takayuki Murakoshi
Summary: The basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA) is closely involved in the formation of emotional memories, including both aversive memory and contextual fear memory. Acute sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts the acquisition of tone-associated fear memory in juvenile rats, but has no significant effect on contextual fear memory. Slow network oscillation in the amygdala contributes to the formation of amygdala-dependent fear memory in relation to sleep.
Article
Neurosciences
Qunxian Wang, Shipeng Guo, Dongjie Hu, Xiangjun Dong, Zijun Meng, Yanshuang Jiang, Zijuan Feng, Weihui Zhou, Weihong Song
Summary: GSDME plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by regulating the switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis and participating in neuroinflammatory response. Knockdown of GSDME has been shown to improve cognitive impairments, indicating that GSDME could be a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.
