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Decision bias influences estimates of the absolute visual threshold. However, most psychophysical estimates of the murine absolute visual threshold have not taken bias into account. Here we developed a one-alternative forced choice (1AFC) assay to assess the decision bias of mice at the absolute visual threshold via the theory of signal detection and compared our approach with the more conventional high-threshold theoretic approach. In the 1AFC assay, mice of both sexes were trained to signal whether they detected a flash stimulus. We directly measured both hit and false alarm rates, which were used to estimate d′ . Using the theory of signal detection, we obtained absolute thresholds by interpolating the intensity where d′  = 1 from d′ -psychometric functions. This gave bias-independent estimates of the absolute visual threshold which ranged over sixfold, averaging ∼1 R* in 1,000 rods ( n  = 7 mice). To obtain high-threshold theoretic estimates of the absolute visual threshold from the same mice, we estim...

The rat dorsomedial (DMS) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS), equivalent to caudate nucleus and putamen in primates, are required for goal-directed and habit behaviour, respectively. However, it is still unclear whether and how this functional dichotomy emerges in the course of learning. In this study, we investigated this issue by recording DMS and DLS single neuron activity in rats performing a continuous spatial alternation task, from the acquisition to optimized performance. We first applied a classical analytical approach to identify task-related activity based on the modifications of single neuron firing rate in relation to specific task events or maze trajectories. We then used an innovative approach based on Hawkes process to reconstruct a directed connectivity graph of simultaneously recorded neurons, that was used to decode animal behavior. This approach enabled us to better unravel the role of DMS and DLS neural networks across learning stages. We showed that DMS and DLS display different task-rela...

Deficits in social behavior are found in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Since abnormalities in cerebellar morphology and function are observed in ASD patients, the cerebellum is thought to play a role in social behavior. However, it remains unknown whether the cerebellum is involved in social behavior in other animals and how cerebellar circuits control social behavior. To address this issue, we employed zebrafish stereotyped orienting behavior as a model of social behaviors, in which a pair of adult zebrafish in two separate tanks approach each other, with one swimming at synchronized angles (orienting angles) with the other. We harnessed transgenic zebrafish that express botulinum toxin, which inhibits the release of neurotransmitters, in either granule cells or Purkinje cells (PCs), and zebrafish mutants of reelin , which is involved in the positioning of cerebellar neurons, including PCs. These zebrafish, deficient in the function or formation of cerebellar ne...

The Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling pathway is vital in neural progenitor cell proliferation, specification, and differentiation. The BMP signaling antagonist Gremlin 2 (Grem2) is the most potent natural inhibitor of BMP expressed in the adult brain; however its function remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we have analyzed mice lacking Grem2 via homologous recombination ( Grem2−/− ). Histological analysis of brain sections revealed significant scattering of CA3 pyramidal cells within the dentate hilus in the hippocampus of Grem2−/− mice. Furthermore, the number of proliferating neural stem cells and neuroblasts was significantly decreased in the subgranular zone of Grem2−/− mice compared with that of wild-type (WT) controls. Due to the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in neurological disorders, we tested mice on a battery of neurobehavioral tests. Grem2−/− mice exhibited increased anxiety on the elevated zero maze in response to acute and chronic stress. Specifically, male Grem2−/− m...

Animals, humans included, navigate their environments guided by sensory cues, responding adaptively to potential dangers and rewards. Avoidance behaviors serve as adaptive strategies in the face of signaled threats, but the neural mechanisms orchestrating these behaviors remain elusive. Current circuit models of avoidance behaviors indicate that the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the ventral striatum plays a key role in signaled avoidance behaviors, but the nature of this engagement is unclear. Evolving perspectives propose the NAc as a pivotal hub for action selection, integrating cognitive and affective information to heighten the efficiency of both appetitive and aversive motivated behaviors. To unravel the engagement of the NAc during active and passive avoidance, we used calcium imaging fiber photometry to examine NAc GABAergic neuron activity in ad libitum moving mice performing avoidance behaviors. We then probed the functional significance of NAc neurons using optogenetics and genetically targeted or e...

Autonoetic consciousness (ANC), the ability to re-experience personal past events links episodic memory and self-consciousness by bridging awareness of oneself in a past event (i.e., during its encoding) with awareness of oneself in the present (i.e., during the reliving of a past event). Recent neuroscience research revealed a bodily form of self-consciousness, including the sense of agency (SoA) and the sense of body ownership (SoO) that are based on the integration of multisensory bodily inputs and motor signals. However, the relation between SoA and/or SoO with ANC is not known. Here, we used immersive virtual reality technology and motion tracking and investigated the potential association of SoA/SoO with ANC. For this, we exposed participants to different levels of visuomotor and perspectival congruency, known to modulate SoA and SoO, during the encoding of virtual scenes and collected ANC ratings 1 week after the encoding session. In a total of 74 healthy participants, we successfully induced system...

Tetrahydroxy stilbene glucoside (TSG) from Polygonum multiflorum exerts neuroprotective effects after ischemic stroke. We explored whether TSG improved ischemic stroke injury via PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) in vitro model and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model were established. Cerebral injury was assessed by neurological score, hematoxylin and eosin staining, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, and brain water content. Apoptosis, cell viability, and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed by flow cytometry, cell counting kit-8, and JC-1 staining, respectively. Colocalization of LC3-labeled autophagosomes with lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 2-labeled lysosomes or translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20-labeled mitochondria was observed with fluorescence microscopy. The ubiquitination level was determined using ubiquitination assay. The interaction between molecules was validated b...

Confirmation bias (CB) is a cognitive bias that allows us to fool ourselves by selectively filtering data and distorting analyses to support favored beliefs or hypotheses. In this article, I will briefly review some classic experiments from cognitive psychology that illustrate what a powerful, pernicious, and insidious force CB is. I will then discuss how to recognize CB in our own thinking and behavior and describe specific elements of good experimental design that can mitigate its effects. These elements—such as randomization and blinding—are conceptually straightforward but often difficult in practice and therefore not as widely implemented as they should be.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts or urges, and compulsions are repetitive behaviors that a person often performs to alleviate the anxiety related to these obsessions. The obsessions and compulsions associated with OCD can be debilitating, affecting the daily lives and overall quality of life for those with OCD (Pauls et al., 2014). OCD has a lifetime prevalence of ∼2–3% and although there are treatments for those diagnosed with OCD, unfortunately up to 50% of these patients continue to display symptoms (Dougherty et al., 2004). Better, more targeted treatment options are needed, and understanding the neurobiology of OCD is important in improving the treatment options for those affected by this disorder. Previous studies of OCD patients using neuroimaging techniques have identified increased activity of cortical and striatal regions (Pauls et al., 2014). Additionally, animal studies have also im...