Cortical tracking of the speech envelope is an emerging, noninvasive measure of neurophysiological processing of speech that is being widely adopted. It demonstrates good ecological validity, as it allows researchers to study human processing of continuous, naturalistic speech containing dynamic spectrotemporal variations and rich linguistic content. While measures of cortical tracking have strong clinical and research applications, there is a lack of research documenting the reliability of these measures, including how they are affected by the stimulus and how the stimulus is represented, as well as electroencephalography (EEG) acquisition and analysis parameters. In this study, we measured the test–retest reliability of cortical tracking of the speech envelope across different stimuli (an audiobook vs a podcast), stimulus features (broadband envelope and its derivative, multiband envelope and its derivative), reference electrodes (average mastoid vs common average reference), and EEG frequency bands (del...

Material below summarizes the article Chemogenetic Suppression of GnRH Neurons during Pubertal Development Can Alter Adult GnRH Neuron Firing Rate and Reproductive Parameters in Female Mice, published on June 8, 2020, in eNeuro and authored by Eden A. Dulka, R. Anthony DeFazio, and Suzanne M. Moenter. Highlights Chemogenetic manipulation of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron firing rate results in the expected changes in GnRH neuron firing and pituitary hormone release. Suppressing prepubertal GnRH neuron activity leads to increased adult GnRH neuron firing rate and days in diestrus. Activating prepubertal GnRH neuron activity had no effect on adult firing rate and did not rescue adult reproductive phenotypes in mice exposed to androgens before birth. Study Question Do changes in prepubertal GnRH neuron activity help establish the adult GnRH neuronal network and adult reproductive function? Can correcting altered prepubertal GnRH neuron firing in a mouse model of reproductive dysfunction ameliorate disruptions in adult reproductive function and GnRH neuron firing?

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Pathological levels of beta amyloid (Aβ) lead to disruption and elimination of synapses in brain as the result of direct neurotoxicity as well as neuroinflammation. The synaptic impact of beta amyloid includes altered morphology and reduced number of dendritic spines at excitatory synapses, evident in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we assessed the ability of an identified neuroprotective peptide, YEVHHQ, derived from the N-terminal domain of Aβ, known as the AβCore, to protect against Aβ-induced alterations in dendritic spines. Our approach involved both 2D and 3D imaging of spine morphology in hippocampal neuron cultures from mice of either sex, with the 3D imaging focusing on the postsynaptic density (PSD), as its morphology is tightly correlated with synaptic strength, and presynaptic terminal morphology and density to assess the impact on both sides of the synapse. We present evidence for uniform prevention by the AβCore of Aβ-induced reductions in spine cross-sectional size ...

Understanding how neural circuits integrate sensory and state information to support context-dependent behavior is a central challenge in neuroscience. Oviposition is a complex process during which a fruit fly integrates context and sensory information to choose an optimal location to lay her eggs. The circuit that controls oviposition is known, but how the oviposition circuit integrates multiple sensory modalities and internal states is not. Using the Hemibrain connectome, we identified the Oviposition Inhibitory Neuron (oviIN) as a key hub in the oviposition circuit and analyzed its inputs to uncover potential parallel pathways that may be responsible for computations related to sensory integration and decision-making. We applied a network analysis to the subconnectome of inputs to the oviIN to identify clusters of interconnected neurons – many of which are uncharacterized cell types. Our findings indicate that the inputs to oviIN form multiple parallel pathways through the unstructured neuropils of the ...

As the year ends but uncertainty continues, take time to reflect on your career and where you are headed in 2021. Whether you are looking for career advice or have some time during an academic break, Neuronline has resources to help accomplish your goals no matter your work environment.

Applying to graduate school can be an organizational challenge. You have to keep track of various program requirements and deadlines, and also coordinate with your undergraduate institution, recommendation letter writers, and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to make sure you submit all of your application materials on time.

What does it mean to conduct rigorous science? This video explores the key elements: replicability, experimental design and bias, data analysis protocols, and data management and reporting.

Naomi Lee is an assistant professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Northern Arizona University. Lee’s research focuses on infectious and chronic diseases while using chemistry and biology tools and public health research to inform vaccine design. In this interview, Lee discusses challenges of being a Native American in research, and her goals of improving American Indian and Alaskan Native health through research, STEM education, and mentoring.

Catherine Hartley is an assistant professor of psychology and neural science at New York University (NYU), and a researcher within NYU’s Institute for the Study of Decision-Making. Her research focuses on the neuroscience of learning and decision-making and how these processes change over the course of development.