Integration of olfactory and auditory cues eliciting parental behavior.

Parental care is crucial for the survival of all mammalian species. Given the evolutionary importance of parenting, this behavioral repertoire must be supported by circuitry that is innate but also capable of learning and flexibility - adjusting to changing environmental demands. In rodents, parental care is triggered by the perception of cues emitted by a pup.

Sensory regulation of absence seizures in a mouse model of encephalopathy.

Absence seizures, manifested by spike-wave discharges (SWD) in the electroencephalogram, display synchronous reciprocal excitation between the neocortex and thalamus. Recent studies have revealed that inhibitory neurons in the reticular thalamic (RT) nucleus and excitatory thalamocortical (TC) neurons are two subcortical players in generating SWD. However, the signals that drive SWD-related activity remain elusive.