Fiber photometry is a neuroscience technique that can continuously monitor in vivo fluorescence to assess population neural activity or neuropeptide/transmitter release in freely behaving animals. Despite the widespread adoption of this technique, methods to statistically analyze data in an unbiased, objective, and easily adopted manner are lacking. Various pipelines for data analysis exist, but they are often system specific, are only for preprocessing data, and/or lack usability. Current post hoc statistical approaches involve inadvertently biased user-defined time-binned averages or area under the curve analysis. To date, no post hoc user-friendly tool with few assumptions for a standardized unbiased analysis exists, yet such a tool would improve reproducibility and statistical reliability for all users. Hence, we have developed a user-friendly post hoc statistical analysis package in Python that is easily downloaded and applied to data from any fiber photometry system. This Fiber Photometry Post Hoc An...

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a bacterial endotoxin that induces innate immune responses. The present study aimed to elucidate alterations in cerebral cortical surface morphology induced by neonatal exposure to LPS using gyrencephalic ferrets. Male ferret pups received a subcutaneous injection of LPS (500 µg/g of body weight) on Postnatal Day (P)6 and P7. Furthermore, EdU and BrdU were administered on P5 and P7, respectively, to label postproliferative and proliferating cells that were exposed to LPS in the late stage of cortical neurogenesis. On P20 when the primary sulci and gyri had formed, MRI-based morphometry revealed an anterior shift in sulcal infolding in the medial and dorsolateral cortices of LPS-exposed ferrets. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that LPS increased the density of BrdU-labeled cells and reduced their apoptosis, as indicated by cleaved caspase-3 (cCasp3) immunostaining, in the outer stratum of the lateral sulcus located on the parietal association cortex. Furthermore, cCasp3 immuno...

Neurodevelopmental disorders disproportionately affect males compared with females. The biological mechanisms of this male susceptibility or female protection have not been identified. There is evidence that fetal/neonatal gonadal hormones, which play a pivotal role in many aspects of development, may contribute. Here, we investigate the effects of excess testosterone (T) during a critical period of sex-specific brain organization on social approach and fear learning behaviors in C57BL/6J wild-type mice. Male, but not female, mice treated with T on the day of birth (Postnatal Day 0; PN0) exhibited decreased social approach as juveniles and decreased contextual fear memory as adults, compared with vehicle (veh)-treated controls. These deficits were not driven by anxiety-like behavior or changes in locomotion or body weight. Mice treated with the same dose of T on PN18, which is outside of the critical period of brain masculinization, did not demonstrate impairments compared with the veh group. These finding...

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a pivotal role in processing pain and emotion, communicating with both cortical and subcortical regions involved in these functions. The claustrum (CLA), a subcortical region with extensive connectivity to the ACC, also plays a critical role in pain perception and consciousness. Both ACC and CLA express Kappa (KOR), Mu (MOR), and Delta (DOR) opioid receptors, yet whether and how opioid receptors modulate this circuit are poorly understood. This study investigates the effects of opioid receptor activation on glutamatergic signaling in CLA→ACC circuitry using spatial transcriptomics, brain slice electrophysiology, optogenetics, and pharmacological approaches in mice of both sexes. Our results demonstrated that excitatory synaptic transmission generated by the CLA onto Layer 5 pyramidal (L5 PYR) cells in the ACC are reduced by KOR, MOR, and DOR agonists. However, only KOR agonists reduce monosynaptic transmission from the CLA onto L5 ACC PYR cells, highlighting the un...

Substance use disorders are complex. Genetics, environment, and exposure to drugs pre- and post-natally all play a role in drug use. Recently, there has been evidence that another factor may play a role in substance use disorders: the gut-brain axis. The gut-brain axis is the bidirectional communication pathways between the gut microbiome and the brain. My most recent publication provides new evidence that alterations of the gut microbiome directly impact the neuronal ensembles recruited during both intoxication and withdrawal from oxycodone.

A first-generation college student from rural East Texas, Ellen A. Lumpkin pursued a non-traditional career path from vocational agriculture to sensory neuroscience. Over the past two decades, Lumpkin’s group has discovered how epithelial Merkel cells collaborate with the nervous system to encode different qualities of touch sensation. In this interactive Meet-the-Expert session, Lumpkin will present highlights of her research and discuss factors that helped her persist along the high-pressure journey to academic neuroscience.

This webinar is exclusive for SfN members. Please log in or join or renew your membership below for access. As a new school year approaches, graduate neuroscience training programs are having to consider how COVID is changing not just their current trainees but also how they recruit and evaluate this year’s applications for admissions. In this discussion panel, four speakers involved in graduate admission at their universities will share the conversations they are having about changes to the upcoming admission cycle, as well as the known and unknown factors complicating these decisions. Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions and experiences to share with the panelists and the rest of the neuroscience training community.

I remembered something I’d read in passing, about non-invasive brain stimulation and strength training in improving motor function in children with cerebral palsy. I wondered if a similar approach could be used in adults. I actually live with cerebral palsy and have seen how adults with cerebral palsy are underrepresented in medical research. It all clicked, and I became even more motivated to pursue this goal. But I still needed to find a supportive supervisory team.

Topological Data Analysis (TDA) showed significant differences between ADHD and typically developing children. Such differences are not dependent on how we segment the brain into multiple regions. ADHD patients showed higher connectivity than controls. Particularly, two high-order or association networks showed the most increases in connectivity: the frontal lobe and the default mode network.

“In my career, I spent a long time educating undergraduate students, and what I realized is I was teaching my students how to communicate with scientists, by writing scientific papers — but what I hadn't done was teach them how to talk about science to people who weren't scientists,” says Jennifer Yates, assistant director of the Innovation in Learning Center at the University of South Alabama. Yates’ story isn’t an anomaly in the scientific community. That’s why stories like hers illustrate the importance of creating a culture within training programs that prioritizes sharing science with nonscientists and teaching students how to do that effectively. Sharing science is a form of advocacy and a simple way to contribute to the field beyond your individual research. Yates got her start in science communication as a former member of SfN’s Public Education and Communication Committee, which guides SfN’s initiatives and programs to educate the public and educators alike about neuroscience. “After that, I started getting my students to think about how, now that they're becoming scientists, they’re going to tell people about that science,” she says. “Most scientists have a passion for sharing their science, but they’re fearful because they don't know what words to use or how to talk to nonexperts,” says Lori McMahon, director of the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center and a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and a member of SfN’s Government and Public Affairs Committee. “Giving them the tools is critical.” Here are four lessons for improving students’ science communication skills and helping them share science with others.