Publications by authors named "Alexander David Friedman"
Nat Commun
September 2023
Article Synopsis
- Synaptogenesis plays a vital role in developing neural circuits, but its impact on goal-directed behaviors was previously unclear.
- Research on mice reveals that operant conditioning leads to the creation of excitatory synapses in a specific brain region involved in movement control, influenced by a key neuronal protein called α2δ-1.
- Eliminating α2δ-1 in adult mice's anterior cingulate cortex didn't affect their learning ability but significantly increased their effort to obtain rewards, demonstrating the importance of synapse formation in regulating how much effort animals are willing to exert.
