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Regulation of gene expression is a facet of human brain specialization. Here, the authors show that human-like expression of the CLOCK gene in the mouse neocortex enhances cognitive flexibility and neural connectivity, suggesting an evolutionary gain of function that may have contributed to human cognitive specialization.
This study used fine-mapping to analyze genetic regions associated with bipolar disorder, identifying specific risk genes and providing new insights into the biology of the condition that may guide future research and treatment approaches.
Pathological neural communication drives the spread of the epileptic network and contributes to memory impairment in focal epilepsy. The authors show that closed-loop electrical stimulation in rodents can prevent this interaction and preserve long-term memory.
Neuropixels 1.0 NHP is a 45-mm, high-density silicon probe capable of recording large numbers of neurons with single-neuron resolution from most areas in a macaque’s brain.
Glia–neuron interactions are highly complex. Glial cells can sense and modulate different aspects of neuronal activity. Here in Caenorhabditis elegans, the authors show that early aged sensory neurons can transfer proteins via extracellular vesicles to AMsh glia, inducing neuroprotection during aging.
In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), disruptions in myelin and axonal structures occur, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here the authors show that, at the myelin–axon interface, axon–glial signaling, paranodal architecture and amyloid-β aggregation are altered in AD, implicating myelin–axon disruption in disease progression.
Dissecting the adaptive exercise response of the neurogenic stem-cell niche in the dentate gyrus by single-nucleus RNA sequencing reveals the molecular mediators that underlie exercise’s protective effects in Alzheimer’s disease.
Sosa et al. find that hippocampal neural activity in mice encodes both environmental ___location and experience relative to rewards, spanning distances far from reward, through parallel and flexible population-level codes.
This study demonstrates that high alcohol concentrations during binge drinking activate a small GABAergic neuronal ensemble in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, which subsequently reduces further alcohol consumption. This effect is mediated by the ensemble’s projections to the mediodorsal thalamus.
The authors describe a mechanism for the clearance of macromolecules from cerebrospinal fluid in which macromolecules traverse from periarterial to perivenous spaces, at sites where intersecting leptomeningeal perivascular (arteriovenous) spaces overlap.
Autism is associated with inflexibility of brain dynamics. Watanabe and Yamasue show that TMS over the right superior parietal lobule while the brain is ‘stuck’ in a certain state reduces this rigidity and relieves various autistic traits.
Using a spatial reasoning task in mice, the authors show that retrosplenial cortex encodes spatial hypotheses with well-behaved recurrent dynamics, which can combine these hypotheses with incoming information to resolve ambiguities.
This study investigates how homeostatic mechanisms endow sensory representations in the auditory cortex with resilience against neuron loss. The map of sounds has the ability to recover after microablation by recruiting previously unresponsive neurons.
Multiday imaging of CA1 neurons during learning reveals that the representation stabilizes as the number of readily retrievable, information-rich and stable place cells increases and suggests novel mechanisms of hippocampal memory formation.
Noel et al. show aberrant updating of expectations in three distinct mouse models of autism spectrum disorder. Brain-wide neurophysiology data suggest this stems from excess units encoding deviations from prior mean and a lack of sensory prediction errors in frontal areas.
Rhine et al. find that neuronal aging leads to widespread dysregulation of RNA biology, including mislocalization of splicing proteins like TDP-43, chronic cellular stress and reduced resiliency.
Some neurons act like body-proximity sensors. The authors show that these neurons reflect the value of contacting or avoiding objects. Together, these neurons compose a flexible predictive model for interacting with the world near the body.
The neuronal composition of the intestinal submucosal plexus is incompletely understood. Here Li et al. define their neuron classes, connectome and stepwise acquisition of identities.
The choroid plexus (ChP) provides molecular cues for brain development. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study identifies an apocrine secretion mechanism in the ChP that modulates the CSF protein composition and instructs cortical development.
Animals need to adapt behavior to balance survival with fulfillment of essential needs. Krauth et al. identify neurons in the lateral hypothalamus that, when activated, prioritize survival over other critical needs by triggering an appropriate motor action.