Gastric vagal afferent signaling to the basolateral amygdala mediates anxiety-like behaviors in experimental colitis mice.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a relapsing-remitting disorder characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Anxiety symptoms are commonly observed in patients with IBD, but the mechanistic link between IBD and anxiety remains elusive. Here, we sought to characterize gut-to-brain signaling and brain circuitry responsible for the pathological expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male dextran sulfate sodium-induced (DSS-induced) experimental colitis mice.

High-Fat Diet Exacerbates Autistic-Like Restricted Repetitive Behaviors and Social Abnormalities in CC2D1A Conditional Knockout Mice.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication, social interaction, and the presence of restricted repetitive behaviors. The cause of ASD involves complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Haploinsufficiency of the Coiled-coil and C2 domain containing 1A (Cc2d1a) gene is causally linked to ASD, and obesity has been associated with worse outcomes for ASD.

A system identification analysis of optogenetically evoked electrocorticography and cerebral blood flow responses.

Objective: The main objective of this research was to study the coupling between neural circuits and the vascular network in the cortex of small rodents from system engineering point of view and generate a mathematical model for the dynamics of neurovascular coupling. The model was adopted to implement closed-loop blood flow control algorithms.

Approach: We used a combination of advanced technologies including optogenetics, electrocorticography, and optical coherence tomography to stimulate selected populations of neurons and simultaneously record induced electrocorticography and hemodynamic signals.