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Neurosciences
Krishnakanth Kondabolu, Natalie M. Doig, Olaoluwa Ayeko, Bakhtawer Khan, Alexandra Torres, Daniela Calvigioni, Konstantinos Meletis, Tibor Koos, Peter J. Magil
Summary: The striatum and subthalamic nucleus (STN) are important nuclei in the basal ganglia. They have extensive interactions and there is evidence of direct connections from STN to striatum. To understand these connections better, the researchers performed tracing experiments and found that the connectivity from STN to parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in the striatum is significantly higher compared to other cell types. Electrophysiology experiments showed that these interneurons exhibited robust excitatory responses to subthalamostriatal inputs. Overall, the data suggest that glutamatergic STN neurons directly influence striatal activity dynamics through their innervation of GABAergic parvalbumin-expressing interneurons.
Article
Neurosciences
Suthinee Attachaipanich, Takaaki Ozawa, Tom Macpherson, Takatoshi Hikidap
Summary: The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial part of the limbic basal ganglia circuit and is associated with decision-making and reward processing. This study investigated the effects of optogenetic manipulation of the NAc D1-MSN-SNr pathway on reward learning and locomotor behavior in male mice. The results showed that stimulation of this pathway induced a preference for a laser-paired location, self-stimulation, and enhanced instrumental responding for a liquid reward. Furthermore, stimulation increased locomotor behavior when delivered bilaterally and induced contralateral turning behavior when delivered unilaterally. However, inhibition of this pathway had no effect on reward-related behaviors or locomotion.
Article
Neurosciences
Akshay Nair, Eileanoir B. Johnson, Sarah Gregory, Katherine Osborne-Crowley, Paul Zeun, Rachael I. Scahill, Jessica Lowe, Marina Papoutsi, Stefano Palminteri, Robb B. Rutledge, Geraint Rees, Sarah J. Tabrizi
Summary: The study found that individuals carrying the Huntington's disease gene for more than 25 years before motor onset exhibited exaggerated striatal responses to gain-predicting stimuli compared to loss-predicting stimuli. Additionally, group differences were observed in the striatal representation of stimulus value. These findings suggest early functional imaging differences between HD gene carriers and control subjects.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY-COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
S. Petryszyn, L. Saidi, D. Gagnon, A. Parent, M. Parent
Summary: The study investigated the changes in morphology and distribution of striatal interneurons expressing calretinin in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. It found that medium-sized calretinin-positive interneurons are specifically targeted by dopamine denervation, while small and intensely immunoreactive calretinin-positive cells remain unaffected. These results suggest that the expression of calretinin may play a protective role against altered corticostriatal transmission in Parkinson's disease.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Hsiao-Ying Kuo, Shih-Yun Chen, Rui-Chi Huang, Hiroshi Takahashi, Yen-Hui Lee, Hao-Yu Pang, Cheng-Hsi Wu, Ann M. Graybiel, Fu-Chin Liu
Summary: Kuo et al. have identified a mechanism by which the KE family mutation in FOXP2 can lead to childhood apraxia of speech. Using a mouse model, they found that the mutation disrupts the formation of vocalization circuits by inhibiting intracellular trafficking. This discovery sheds light on the genetic control of vocal communication in humans and could contribute to understanding speech disorders associated with FOXP2 mutations.
Article
Neurosciences
Shigeru Ogata, Yuta Miyamoto, Naoki Shigematsu, Shigeyuki Esumi, Takaichi Fukuda
Summary: The study demonstrates the presence of a novel type of GABAergic neurons in the most caudal part of the striatum in male mice. These neurons have large somata and extend long dendrites towards adjoining regions, receiving inputs from MSNs in close proximity and facilitating prompt disinhibition in response to auditory stimuli.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Natalia Lopez-Gonzalez del Rey, Miguel Angel Garcia-Cabezas
Summary: This review article summarizes the developmental, cellular, structural, and connectional features of the primate striatum and relates them to patterns of neurodegeneration in humans and non-human primate models. By understanding the primate anatomy and its relation to human pathology, new insights into the molecular, cellular, and connectional factors underlying the degeneration of striatal neurons and circuits can be gained. The article provides an overview of the types of neurons, cyto-, myelo-, and chemoarchitecture, developmental origin, organization of corticostriatal projections, and the topography and time-course of neurodegenerative diseases in both humans and non-human primates.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Roeser, Vikram Gadagkar, Anindita Das, Pavel A. Puzerey, Brian Kardon, Jesse H. Goldberg
Summary: This study investigates how dopamine signals change in response to different priorities and opportunities in the environment. The findings suggest that the dopamine system can dynamically adjust its signals to accommodate different reward settings based on the current priority. This flexibility allows the brain to prioritize and adapt to varying needs and motivations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bernard Bloem, Rafiq Huda, Ken-ichi Amemori, Alex S. Abate, Gayathri Krishna, Anna L. Wilson, Cody W. Carter, Mriganka Sur, Ann M. Graybiel
Summary: The striatal neurons can encode associations between actions and multiple rewarding and aversive outcomes. Striosomal neurons are particularly important in action-outcome learning.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Kouichi C. Nakamura, Andrew Sharott, Takuma Tanaka, Peter J. Magill
Summary: In Parkinsonism, dopamine depletion leads to dysrhythmic activity in basal ganglia-recipient zone neurons, which differs from the normal neural cell activity and may affect brain information processing.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Virginie J. Oberto, Celine J. Boucly, HongYing Gao, Ralitsa Todorova, Michael B. Zugaro, Sidney Wiener
Summary: Researchers have discovered highly synchronous cell assemblies in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, indicating their role in coordinating brain function across different structures. These assemblies were found to be correlated with behavioral parameters and were more robust in expressing these correlations than individual neurons. Additionally, the study found that these assemblies can be spontaneously reactivated during sleep and immobility.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sandeep Sathyanandan Nair, Vignayanandam Ravindernath Muddapu, C. Vigneswaran, Pragathi P. Balasubramani, Dhakshin S. Ramanathan, Jyoti Mishra, V. Srinivasa Chakravarthy
Summary: Human cognition encompasses various abilities such as selective attention, decision making, and working memory. In cognitive impairment research, it is crucial to study multiple cognitive functions simultaneously. Thus, we propose a unified, reinforcement learning-based agent model to simulate these cognitive tasks and map individual performance to model meta-parameters. This model has the potential to serve as a proxy for cognitively impaired conditions and as a clinical testbench for therapeutic interventions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing He, Michael Kleyman, Jianjiao Chen, Aydin Alikaya, Kathryn M. Rothenhoefer, Bilge Esin Ozturk, Morgan Wirthlin, Andreea C. Bostan, Kenneth Fish, Leah C. Byrne, Andreas R. Pfenning, William R. Stauffer
Summary: This study identified at least nine subtypes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum of Rhesus monkeys, showing greater heterogeneity than previously thought at the transcriptional level. Each MSN subtype was characterized by discontinuities in gene expression, but continuous variation within subtypes corresponded to anatomical locations and potential functional specializations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Su Hyoun Park, Anne K. Baker, Vinit Krishna, Sean C. Mackey, Katherine T. Martucci
Summary: The brain corticostriatal circuits play a crucial role in understanding chronic pain. In this study, the authors investigated the connectivity of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) - medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) circuit in patients with fibromyalgia. They found that the connectivity of this circuit was significantly reduced in fibromyalgia patients compared to healthy controls. The connectivity between the NAcc and subcortical brain regions was also reduced in fibromyalgia. These findings provide novel evidence of altered corticostriatal and mesolimbic circuits in chronic pain.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anastasia Brodovskaya, Shinnosuke Shiono, Jaideep Kapur
Summary: This study revealed neuronal activation in multiple brain regions during frontal lobe motor seizures, with a preference for dopamine D2 receptor-expressing neurons in the striatum. The activation was found to be modulated by the basal ganglia, indicating a complex neuronal circuit involved in seizures.
Review
Neurosciences
S. Bariselli, W. C. Fobbs, M. C. Creed, A. V. Kravitz
Article
Neurosciences
Wambura C. Fobbs, Sebastiano Bariselli, Julia A. Licholai, Nanami L. Miyazaki, Bridget A. Matikainen-Ankney, Meaghan C. Creed, Alexxai V. Kravitz
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bridget A. Matikainen-Ankney, Mohamed A. Ali, Nanami L. Miyazaki, Sydney A. Fry, Julia A. Licholai, Alexxai V. Kravitz
Article
Neurosciences
Jacob C. Nordman, Xiaoyu Ma, Qinhua Gu, Michael Potegal, He Li, Alexxai V. Kravitz, Zheng Li
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sebastiano Bariselli, Nanami L. Miyazaki, Meaghan C. Creed, Alexxai Kravitz
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Miguel Skirzewski, Marie E. Cronin, Ricardo Murphy, Wambura Fobbs, Alexxai Kravitz, Andres Buonanno
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
B. Sofia Beas, Xinglong Gu, Yan Leng, Omar Koita, Shakira Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Morgan Kindel, Bridget A. Matikainen-Ankney, Rylan S. Larsen, Alexxai Kravitz, Mark A. Hoon, Mario A. Penzo
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Eric Casey, Maria Elena Avale, Alexxai Kravitz, Marcelo Rubinstein
Summary: The distribution and role of D2 receptors (D2Rs) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) were investigated in mice. The study found that postsynaptic D2Rs in the CeA attenuate behavioral reactions to potential environmental threats.
Article
Neurosciences
Alex A. Legaria, Bridget A. Matikainen-Ankney, Ben Yang, Biafra Ahanonu, Julia A. Licholais, Jones G. Parker, Alexxai Kravitz
Summary: Fiber photometry can record neuronal calcium dynamics in awake mice, but the biological source of the signal is still unclear. Through various experiments, the authors found that fiber photometry signal in the striatum primarily reflects nonsomatic changes in calcium.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yaoheng Yang, Jinyun Yuan, Rachael L. Field, Dezhuang Ye, Zhongtao Hu, Kevin Xu, Lu Xu, Yan Gong, Yimei Yue, Alexxai V. Kravitz, Michael R. Bruchas, Jianmin Cui, Jonathan R. Brestoff, Hong Chen
Summary: By using ultrasound to activate specific neurons in the hypothalamus, researchers have successfully induced a torpor-like state in rodents, characterized by hypothermia and reduced metabolic rate. This noninvasive technique involves closed-loop feedback control of ultrasound stimulation and automated detection of body temperature. The study identifies TRPM2 as an ultrasound-sensitive ion channel in the hypothalamus preoptic area, and demonstrates the feasibility of ultrasound-induced hypothermia and hypometabolism in non-torpid animals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Donghua Hu, Min Tan, Dongliang Lu, Brian Kleiboeker, Xuejing Liu, Hongsuk Park, Alexxai V. Kravitz, Kooresh I. Shoghi, Yu-Hua Tseng, Babak Razani, Akihiro Ikeda, Irfan J. Lodhi
Summary: Mitochondrial morphology, regulated by fission and fusion, plays a crucial role in the thermogenic capacity of brown adipocytes. TMEM135 has been identified as a critical mediator in the regulation of mitochondrial fission and thermogenesis, providing a potential target for therapeutic activation of brown adipose tissue.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jonathan Krynitsky, Alex A. Legaria, Julia J. Pai, Marcial Garmendia-Cedillos, Ghadi Salem, Tom Pohida, Alexxai Kravitz
Article
Neurosciences
Bridget A. Matikainen-Ankney, Marcial Garmendia-Cedillos, Mohamed Ali, Jonathan Krynitsky, Ghadi Salem, Nanami L. Miyazaki, Tom Pohida, Alexxai Kravitz