Highlighted Research Paper: [[Tracking Mitochondrial Density and Positioning along a Growing Neuronal Process in Individual C. elegans Neuron Using a Long-Term Growth and Imaging Microfluidic Device by Sudip Mondal, Jyoti Dubey, Anjali Awasthi, Guruprasad Reddy Sure, Amruta Vasudevan, and Sandhya P. Koushika.][2]][2] []: /lookup/doi/10.1523/ENEURO.0360-20.2021

Both nucleus reuniens and the anterior thalamic nuclei are densely interconnected with medial cortical and hippocampal areas, connections that reflect their respective contributions to learning and memory. To better appreciate their comparative roles, pairs of different retrograde tracers were placed in these two thalamic sites in adult rats. Both thalamic sites receive modest cortical inputs from layer V that contrasted with much denser projections from layer VI. Despite frequent overlap in layer VI, ventral prefrontal and anterior cingulate inputs to nucleus reuniens were concentrated in the deepest sublayer (VIb). Meanwhile, inputs to the anterior thalamic nuclei originated more evenly from both sublayers VIa and VIb, with the result that they were often located more superficially than the projections to nucleus reuniens. Again, while the many hippocampal (subiculum) neurons projecting to nucleus reuniens and the anterior thalamic nuclei were partially intermingled within the deep cellular parts of the ...

Results from item-method directed forgetting suggest that individuals are able to intentionally forget processed information. Most research suggests that either selective rehearsal of to-be-remembered or inhibitory control of to-be-forgotten information is accountable for the effects of intentional forgetting. Some research, however, hypothesized that the time to process information mediates the underlying mechanism. To test this hypothesis, the current study investigated associations between oscillatory power in theta (3–7.5 Hz) and alpha frequencies (8–13 Hz) and intentional forgetting in human participants and explored whether or not these mechanisms depended on processing time. Previously, theta power was shown to be associated with the creation of episodic memory traces and alpha power with inhibition. We therefore expected to find associations between these neural signatures and behavioral effects. Consistent with our hypotheses, we revealed increased theta power for to-be-remembered and increased al...

At rest, mammalian brains display remarkable spatiotemporal complexity, evolving through recurrent functional connectivity ( FC ) states on a slow timescale of the order of tens of seconds. While the phenomenology of the resting state dynamics is valuable in distinguishing healthy and pathologic brains, little is known about its underlying mechanisms. Here, we identify neuronal cascades as a potential mechanism. Using full-brain network modeling, we show that neuronal populations, coupled via a detailed structural connectome, give rise to large-scale cascades of firing rate fluctuations evolving at the same time scale of resting-state networks ( RSNs ). The ignition and subsequent propagation of cascades depend on the brain state and connectivity of each region. The largest cascades produce bursts of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) co-fluctuations at pairs of regions across the brain, which shape the simulated RSN dynamics. We experimentally confirm these theoretical predictions. We demonstrate the exi...

The ability to adapt under significant adversity, defined as psychological resilience, is instrumental in preventing stress-related disorders. An important aspect of resilience is the capacity to endure affective distress when in pursuit of goals, also known as distress tolerance. Evidence that links intrinsic baseline interactions within large-scale functional networks with performance under distress remains missing. We hypothesized that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may engage in distress tolerance because of its involvement in attention and emotion regulation. Accordingly, we tested whether behavioral performance under distress is associated with baseline resting-state ACC functional connectivity (FC). Distress tolerance was measured in 97 participants using the behavioral indicator of resiliency to distress (BIRD) task. Analyses contrasted participants who quit the task before its designated termination ( n  = 51) with those who persisted throughout it ( n  = 46). Seed-based FC analysis indicated...

Understanding masseter muscle (MM) innervation is critical for the study of cell-specific mechanisms of pain induced by temporomandibular disorder (TMDs) or after facial surgery. Here, we identified trigeminal (TG) sensory neuronal subtypes (MM TG neurons) innervating MM fibers, masseteric fascia, tendons, and adjusted tissues. A combination of patch clamp electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on TG neurons back-traced from reporter mouse MM found nine distinct subtypes of MM TG neurons. Of these neurons, 24% belonged to non-peptidergic IB-4+/TRPA1– or IB-4+/TRPA1+ groups, while two TRPV1+ small-sized neuronal groups were classified as peptidergic/CGRP+. One small-sized CGRP+ neuronal group had a unique electrophysiological profile and were recorded from Nav1.8– or trkC+ neurons. The remaining CGRP+ neurons were medium-sized, could be divided into Nav1.8–/trkC– and Nav1.8low/trkC+ clusters, and showed large 5HT-induced current. The final two MM TG neuronal groups were trkC+ and had no Nav1.8 and...

Team flow occurs when a group functions in a high task engagement to achieve a goal, commonly seen in performance and sports. Team flow can enable enhanced positive experiences, as compared with individual flow or regular socializing. However, the neural basis for this enhanced behavioral state remains unclear. Here, we identified neural correlates (NCs) of team flow in human participants using a music rhythm task with electroencephalogram hyperscanning. Experimental manipulations held the motor task constant while disrupting the corresponding hedonic music to interfere with the flow state or occluding the partner’s positive feedback to impede team interaction. We validated these manipulations by using psychometric ratings and an objective measure for the depth of flow experience, which uses the auditory-evoked potential (AEP) of a task-irrelevant stimulus. Spectral power analysis at both the scalp sensors and anatomic source levels revealed higher β-γ power specific to team flow in the left middle tempora...

The nonhuman primate (NHP) constitutes an extraordinarily important model in neuroscience research for understanding the neuronal underpinnings of perceptual, motor, cognitive, and executive functions of the primate brain, and to study the physiological causes, effects, and potential treatments of brain disorders. Because of their cognitive capabilities, NHPs receive special attention in animal welfare regulations around the world, and their well-being is a benchmark for the evaluation, monitoring, and refinement of experimental procedures. As a consequence, many typical neuroscientific procedures are considered only mildly severe by animal welfare boards. There is, however, an ongoing debate about possible long-term and cumulative effects. Because of a lack of longitudinal data, it is unclear whether mildly severe procedures may cause more significant harm on the long-term, and to what extent they may impact animal well-being and healthiness over time. We here make use of a database of blood samples drawn...

Frustrative nonreward (FN) is a construct in the Negative Valence Systems domain of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) from the National Institute of Mental Health. An organism’s response to frustrating situations (e.g., inability to obtain an expected reward) has broad implications for a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders. The current project developed a first of its kind rat operant behavioral model of FN based loosely on the human Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP). The current study shows that individual differences in FN for sucrose pellets are consistent across sessions at baseline and that the task is sensitive to reward size in male rats. More importantly, high FN behavior for sucrose predicts early “breaking” for intravenous fentanyl self-administration under a progressive ratio (PR) schedule. These results solidify frustration/ FN as an important factor for substance use disorders in addition to craving, impulsivity, and habit.

The brain’s connectome has a great impact on its function, as its structure affects the speed and efficiency of information transfer. As a highly energy-consuming organ, an efficient network structure is essential. A previous study has shown consistent overall brain connectivity across a large variety of species. This connectivity conservation was explained by a balance between inter and intra hemispheric connections, that is – spices with highly connected hemispheres appear to have weaker inter-hemisphere connections. This study examines this connectivity trade-off in the human brain using diffusion-based tractography and network analysis in the Human Connectome Project (970 subjects, 527 F). We explore the biological origins of this phenomenon, and heritability and effect on cognitive measures. The proportion of commissural fibers in the brain had a negative correlation to hemispheric efficiency, pointing to a trade-off between inner and inter hemispheric connectivity. Network hubs including anterior an...