Article
Neurosciences
Xin Ren, Anastasia Brodovskaya, John L. Hudson, Jaideep Kapur
Summary: The synchrony of neurons during seizures and epileptogenesis is dependent on anatomical connectivity and plasticity. Neuronal firing exhibits orderly patterns along the longitudinal axis, with higher synchrony observed along the lamellar axis compared to the septotemporal axis.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Monika Liguz-Lecznar, Grzegorz Dobrzanski, Malgorzata Kossut
Summary: Despite differences in pathophysiology, many neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders share the disruption of excitation/inhibition balance as a pivotal mechanism. This article briefly describes the somatostatinergic system and the role of somatostatin and SOM-INs in physiological and pathological brain processes, emphasizing their importance in neuroplasticity and various brain pathologies.
Article
Neurosciences
Alvaro Murillo, Ana Navarro, Eduardo Puelles, Yajun Zhang, Timothy J. Petros, Isabel Perez-Otano
Summary: GluN3A subunits play important roles in NMDA receptor properties and are expressed postnatally in specific brain regions, with varying patterns across brain regions, cortical layers, and sensory modalities. The study provides a comprehensive map of Grin3a distribution across the mouse lifespan and lays the groundwork for understanding the diverse functions of GluN3A in health and disease.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tal Sharf, Tjitse van der Molen, Stella M. K. Glasauer, Elmer Guzman, Alessio P. Buccino, Gabriel Luna, Zhuowei Cheng, Morgane Audouard, Kamalini G. Ranasinghe, Kiwamu Kudo, Srikantan S. Nagarajan, Kenneth R. Tovar, Linda R. Petzold, Andreas Hierlemann, Paul K. Hansma, Kenneth S. Kosik
Summary: Brain organoids can replicate the cellular organization found in the developing human brain, and by utilizing microelectronics, functional circuits can be assembled to mirror the complexity of brain networks. This study explores the physiology of neuronal circuits within brain organoids and how they can be influenced by external stimuli. The results suggest that brain organoids have the potential to be used in studying neuropsychiatric diseases, drug action, and the effects of external stimuli on neuronal networks.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paloma P. Maldonado, Alvaro Nuno-Perez, Jan H. Kirchner, Elizabeth Hammock, Julijana Gjorgjieva, Christian Lohmann
Summary: The neuromodulator oxytocin has differential effects on spontaneous activity patterns in sensory cortices, reducing frequency and correlations in V1 but not affecting frequency in S1. This modulation is achieved through recruitment of SST+ interneurons, which play a crucial role in shaping developing sensory circuits.
Article
Neurosciences
Karolina Bogaj, Roksana Kaplon, Joanna Urban-Ciecko
Summary: This study investigated the inhibitory effects of GABAA receptors on different types of interneurons in mouse brain slices. The results showed that different types of interneurons have varying sensitivity to inhibition, and GABAA inhibition can decrease the excitability of one type of interneuron while not affecting another type.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tomas T. Roos, Megg G. Garcia, Isak Martinsson, Rana Mabrouk, Bodil Israelsson, Tomas Deierborg, Asgeir Kobro-Flatmoen, Heikki Tanila, Gunnar K. Gouras
Summary: Research suggests that intracellular A beta plays a crucial role in the prion-like spread of Alzheimer's disease, leading to plaque formation and neuronal damage.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jan Meyer, Niklas J. Gerkau, Karl W. Kafitz, Matthias Patting, Fabian Jolmes, Christian Henneberger, Christine R. Rose
Summary: Fluorescence imaging is a crucial method for analyzing cellular and molecular processes. However, intensity-based approaches are susceptible to artifacts caused by changes in fluorophore concentrations. This study introduces a new method called rapidFLIM, which combines ultra-low dead-time photodetectors with rapid electronics to overcome this drawback. The improved rapidFLIM allows for quantitative and dynamic imaging of low-emission fluorophores at an unprecedented speed and independent of changes in cell volume.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
G. Dobrzanski, A. Lukomska, R. Zakrzewska, A. Posluszny, D. Kanigowski, J. Urban-Ciecko, M. Liguz-Lecznar, M. Kossut
Summary: In this study, the role of cortical SOM-INs and VIP-INs in a Pavlovian conditioning were examined, revealing the crucial involvement of L4 SOM-INs activity in learning-induced plastic changes. It is suggested that L4 SOM-INs may provide disinhibition by blocking L4 parvalbumin interneurons, allowing information flow into upper cortical layers during learning.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Yuniesky Andrade-Talavera, Gefei Chen, Firoz Roshan Kurudenkandy, Jan Johansson, Andre Fisahn
Summary: The synchronized and balanced electrical activity of neurons is crucial for the brain to process information, learn, and remember. In Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline is caused by the disruption of this synchronization and balance due to the accumulation of neuropathological biomarkers such as A842, which impairs crucial neuronal classes and cognitive brain rhythms. The use of recombinant BRICHOS molecular chaperone domains shows promise in rescuing the disruption of cognition-relevant brain rhythms in AD.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Ivan Banovac, Dora Sedmak, Monique Esclapez, Zdravko Petanjek
Summary: In this study, the molecular expression, morphological features, and laminar distribution of somatostatin cells in the human prefrontal cortex were comprehensively analyzed. The results showed that somatostatin neurons comprise around 7% of neocortical neurons, with different molecular and morphological characteristics in different cortical layers.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Roberto de Filippo, Benjamin R. Rost, Alexander Stumpf, Claire Cooper, John J. Tukker, Christoph Harms, Prateep Beed, Dietmar Schmitz
Summary: The research found that 5-HT can inhibit slow oscillations by activating Sst inhibitory neurons, contributing to a better understanding of the role of 5-HT in cortical network activity.
Article
Neurosciences
Kimberly L. Kraus, Arihant P. Chordia, Austin W. Drake, James P. Herman, Steve C. Danzer
Summary: This study found that under baseline conditions, glucocorticoid receptors (GR) expression in parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons in the hippocampus showed considerable subregion variability, while somatostatin-positive (SST+) interneurons expressed GR ubiquitously. These findings suggest anatomical diversity in the regulation of stress-dependent hippocampal responses, which may imply functional differences.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Chun-Lei Zhang, Fani Koukouli, Manuela Allegra, Cantin Ortiz, Hsin-Lun Kao, Uwe Maskos, Jean-Pierre Changeux, Christoph Schmidt-Hieber
Summary: Before spontaneous movement, MOs neurons exhibit slowly increasing membrane potential and spike ramps, which become stronger and faster after goal-directed training, indicating that the interplay between internal rhythm interneurons and principal neuron recurrent connectivity shapes ramping signals. Excitatory synapse plasticity on SOM+ inhibitory neurons can explain the acceleration of ramps after training.
Article
Neurosciences
Pamela D. Rivi, Gabriel Schamberg, Todd P. Coleman, Lara M. Rangel
Summary: This study innovatively proposes a modeling approach to test the relationship between local field potential (LFP) oscillations and neuronal spike timing. By relating spike timing with the phase of LFP rhythms and combining short spike history information, researchers can effectively test the reliability of LFP in explaining variance in neuronal spike trains.
JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Physiology
Knut Kirmse
PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Marie-Luise Ederer, Madlen Guenther, Lena Best, Julia Lindner, Christoph Kaleta, Otto W. Witte, Rowena Simon, Christiane Frahm
Summary: Inflammation is believed to play a role in cognitive decline during aging. This study examines the impact of physical activity and social isolation on cognitive function and inflammation in old mice. The results show that voluntary wheel running improves cognitive function, while social isolation has negative effects. Inflammatory markers increase in both the hippocampus and colon during aging, and voluntary wheel running specifically attenuates intestinal inflammation.
Article
Cell Biology
Diana M. Morales-Prieto, Jose M. Murrieta-Coxca, Milan Stojiljkovic, Celia Diezel, Priska E. Streicher, Julian A. Henao-Restrepo, Franziska Roestel, Julia Lindner, Otto W. Witte, Sebastian Weis, Christian Schmeer, Manja Marz
Summary: Extracellular vesicles, specifically small EVs, are involved in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. Aging brains show increased neuroinflammation and glial activation, which can be influenced by EVs. Our study demonstrates that sEVs from aged mice can cross the blood-brain barrier and induce glial cell activation in young animals.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Quratul Ain, Christian W. Schmeer, Diane Wengerodt, Yvonne Hofmann, Otto W. Witte, Alexandra Kretz
Summary: This article presents a practical workflow for the efficient purification of viable neural cells from the mature CNS. The protocol is suitable for acquiring and phenomapping CNS neural cells at different states, including health, physiological and precocious aging, and genetically provoked neurodegeneration. It is a rapid and efficient method that preserves physiological cell proportions and can be applied in various downstream applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Knut Kirmse, Chuanqiang Zhang
Summary: GABAergic signaling plays a crucial role in the inhibitory stabilization and coordination of excitatory neurons in mature cortical circuits. This review examines how GABA-releasing interneurons acquire their network functions during development, focusing on the visual neocortex and hippocampus in mice and rats. The authors propose that inhibitory stabilization is not functional at the onset of patterned activity, and that glutamatergic neurons are stable by themselves. The strengthening of inhibitory synaptic transmission toward eye opening shapes cortical network dynamics and allows the developing cortex to disengage from extra-cortical synaptic drive. The framework presented in this review has implications for our understanding of human cortical development and the treatment of neonatal seizures.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Friederike Deeken, Markus Reichert, Hilmar Zech, Julia Wenzel, Friederike Wedemeyer, Alvaro Aguilera, Acelya Aslan, Patrick Bach, Nadja S. Bahr, Claudia Ebrahimi, Pascale C. Fischbach, Marvin Ganz, Maria Garbusow, Charlotte M. Grosskopf, Marie Heigert, Angela Hentschel, Damian Karl, Patricia Pelz, Mathieu Pinger, Carlotta Riemerschmid, Annika Rosenthal, Johannes Steffen, Jens Strehle, Franziska Weiss, Gesine Wieder, Alfred Wieland, Judith Zaiser, Sina Zimmermann, Henrik Walter, Bernd Lenz, Lorenz Deserno, Michael N. Smolka, Shuyan Liu, Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer, Andreas Heinz, Michael A. Rapp
Summary: This study found no immediate negative associations of lockdown measures with overall alcohol consumption (AC). Instead, weekend-weekday and holiday AC patterns exceeded lockdown effects. Differences in AC between weekend days and weekdays decreased as a function of alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity and lockdown measures, indicating a potential mechanism of losing and regaining control. This suggests that temporal patterns and drinking intention are promising targets for prevention and intervention, even in high-risk individuals.
Article
Neurosciences
Miriam Sebold, Stefan J. Kiebel, Michael N. Smolka, Andreas Heinz, Lorenz Deserno
Summary: This article reviews the role of reinforcement learning (RL) and economic choice models in explaining the development and maintenance of symptoms in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Findings suggest challenges and important gaps that need to be addressed in applying research findings to clinical practice.
NEUROPSYCHOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Dimitrije Markovic, Andrea M. F. Reiter, Stefan J. Kiebel
Summary: Precisely timed behavior and accurate time perception are important for decision making. However, we know little about how the representation of temporal structure affects decision making. Using a probabilistic learning task, we found that human beliefs about temporal structure influence their decision choices. A normative model based on the semi-Markov formalism is proposed to explain the results, with potential applications in cognitive phenotyping and computational psychiatry.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Juergen Graf, Vahid Rahmati, Myrtill Majoros, Otto W. Witte, Christian Geis, Stefan J. Kiebel, Knut Holthoff, Knut Kirmse
Summary: Spontaneous correlated activity is a common characteristic of immature neural circuits. However, little is known about the cellular dynamics and intrinsic mechanisms underlying network burstiness. By mapping the developmental trajectories of spontaneous network activity in the hippocampal area CA1 of mice, it was found that network burstiness peaks in the second postnatal week, reflecting an increased functional coupling of individual neurons to local population activity. However, pairwise neuronal correlations are low, and network bursts recruit CA1 pyramidal cells in a virtually random manner.
Article
Neurosciences
Sascha Froelich, Marlon Esmeyer, Tanja Endrass, Michael N. Smolka, Stefan J. Kiebel
Summary: Human behavior often consists of repeated action sequences that become automatic or habitual through extensive repetition. However, we are also required to react flexibly and in a goal-directed manner in response to events in our environment. In this study, we developed a novel behavioral paradigm to investigate how implicitly learned action sequences interfere with goal-directed control.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Silvio Schmidt, Madlen Haase, Lena Best, Marco Groth, Julia Lindner, Otto W. Witte, Christoph Kaleta, Christiane Frahm
Summary: Research has shown that late-onset environmental enrichment (EE) can improve cognitive abilities and affect gene expression in the hippocampus of old mice. The positive cognitive effects were reflected by specific changes in the hippocampal transcriptome, with late-onset EE having a greater impact on transcription than age. Some genes that play a role in dendritic spine plasticity and age-related molecular signaling cascades were counter-regulated by late-onset EE. These findings suggest that EE is a promising non-pharmacological intervention against cognitive decline.
Article
Cell Biology
Sidra Gull, Christian Gaser, Karl-Heinz Herrmann, Anja Urbach, Marcus Boehme, Samia Afzal, Juergen R. Reichenbach, Otto W. Witte, Silvio Schmidt
Summary: By using MRI and DBM, we examined the structural changes in the brains of male RccHan:WIST rats. The study found that the overall brain volume increased with age, but there were also divergent local morphologic alterations. The visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortical areas showed shrinkage, while the higher-order brain areas such as the ectorhinal, entorhinal, retrosplenial, and cingulate cortical regions were preserved and grew with age.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johannes Steffen, Dimitrije Markovic, Franka Gloeckner, Philipp T. Neukam, Stefan J. Kiebel, Shu-Chen Li, Michael N. Smolka
Summary: Forward planning is crucial in complex sequential decision-making, and this study found that age is a factor that affects forward planning. Older adults showed shorter planning depths and used more simplified strategies. These findings are important for understanding changes in decision-making behavior in older adults.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dario Cuevas Rivera, Stefan Kiebel
Summary: Humans can adapt their movements to sudden or gradual changes in the environment, known as motor adaptation. They can also switch between different adapted movements, relying on contextual information which can be noisy or misleading. Computational models have shown the effects of context inference on learning rates, and we further expanded on these models to demonstrate that context inference affects motor adaptation and control beyond previous understanding.