Dopaminergic signaling to ventral striatum neurons initiates sniffing behavior.

Sniffing is a motivated behavior displayed by nearly all terrestrial vertebrates. While sniffing is associated with acquiring and processing odors, sniffing is also intertwined with affective and motivated states. The systems which influence the display of sniffing are unclear.

Sniffing can be initiated by dopamine's actions on ventral striatum neurons.

Sniffing is a motivated behavior displayed by nearly all terrestrial vertebrates. While sniffing is associated with acquiring and processing odors, sniffing is also intertwined with affective and motivated states. The neuromodulatory systems which influence the display of sniffing are unclear.

Heterozygous loss of Engrailed-1 and α-synucleinopathy (En1/SYN): A dual-hit preclinical mouse model of Parkinson's disease, analyzed with artificial intelligence.

In this study, we develop and validate a new Parkinson's disease (PD) mouse model that can be used to better understand how the disease progresses and to test the effects of new, potentially disease-modifying, PD therapies. Our central hypothesis is that mitochondrial dysfunction intercalates with misfolded α-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation in a vicious cycle, leading to the loss of nigral neurons. Our hypothesis builds on the concept that PD involves multiple molecular insults, including mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant α-syn handling.

Democratizing Artificial Intelligence in Anatomic Pathology.

Context.—: Artificial intelligence is a transforming technology for anatomic pathology. Involvement within the workforce will foster support for algorithm development and implementation.

Urinary tract infections trigger synucleinopathy via the innate immune response.

Symptoms in the urogenital organs are common in multiple system atrophy (MSA), also in the years preceding the MSA diagnosis. It is unknown how MSA is triggered and these observations in prodromal MSA led us to hypothesize that synucleinopathy could be triggered by infection of the genitourinary tract causing ɑ-synuclein (ɑSyn) to aggregate in peripheral nerves innervating these organs. As a first proof that peripheral infections could act as a trigger in MSA, this study focused on lower urinary tract infections (UTIs), given the relevance and high frequency of UTIs in prodromal MSA, although other types of infection might also be important triggers of MSA.

Heterozygous GBA D409V and ATP13a2 mutations do not exacerbate pathological α-synuclein spread in the prodromal preformed fibrils model in young mice.

Autophagic dysregulation and lysosomal impairment have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, partly due to the identification of mutations in multiple genes involved in these pathways such as GBA, SNCA, ATP13a2 (also known as PARK9), TMEM175 and LRRK2. Mutations resulting in lysosomal dysfunction are proposed to contribute to Parkinson's disease by increasing α-synuclein levels, that in turn may promote aggregation of this protein. Here, we used two different genetic models-one heterozygous for a mutated form of the GBA protein (D409V), and the other heterozygous for an ATP13a2 loss-of-function mutation, to test whether these mutations exacerbate the spread of α-synuclein pathology following injection of α-synuclein preformed fibrils in the olfactory bulb of 12-week-old mice.

A Neural System that Represents the Association of Odors with Rewarded Outcomes and Promotes Behavioral Engagement.

Odors are well known to elicit strong emotional and behavioral responses that become strengthened throughout learning, yet the specific cellular systems involved in odor learning and the direct influence of these on behavior are unclear. Here, we investigate the representation of odor-reward associations within two areas recipient of dense olfactory input, the posterior piriform cortex (pPCX) and the olfactory tubercle (OT), using electrophysiological recordings from mice engaged in reward-based learning. Neurons in both regions represent conditioned odors and do so with similar information content, yet the proportion of neurons recruited by conditioned rewarded odors and the magnitudes and durations of their responses are greater in the OT.

Deficits in olfactory sensitivity in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease revealed by plethysmography of odor-evoked sniffing.

Hyposmia is evident in over 90% of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. A characteristic of PD is intraneuronal deposits composed in part of α-synuclein fibrils. Based on the analysis of post-mortem PD patients, Braak and colleagues suggested that early in the disease α-synuclein pathology is present in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, as well as the olfactory bulb and anterior olfactory nucleus, and then later affects other interconnected brain regions.

Neurochemical organization of the ventral striatum's olfactory tubercle.

The ventral striatum is a collection of brain structures, including the nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum and the olfactory tubercle (OT). While much attention has been devoted to the nucleus accumbens, a comprehensive understanding of the ventral striatum and its contributions to neurological diseases requires an appreciation for the complex neurochemical makeup of the ventral striatum's other components. This review summarizes the rich neurochemical composition of the OT, including the neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and hormones present.

Maternal and paternal origin differentially affect prosocial behavior and neural mechanisms in prairie voles.

This study tested the hypotheses that maternal and paternal effects differentially influence expression of their offspring's adult behavior and underlying neural mechanisms. We predicted that maternal influences would be greater than paternal influences on male offspring. We tested these hypotheses by cross-breeding two phenotypically-, behaviorally- and neuroanatomically-distinct populations of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) from Illinois, which are highly prosocial, and Kansas, which are significantly less prosocial.

Novel unconditioned prosocial behavior in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) as a model for empathy.

Objective: In this study, empathy is quantified using a novel social test. Empathy and prosocial behavior are linked to the expression of oxytocin in humans and rodent models. Specifically, prosocial behavior in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) has been linked to the expression of oxytocin in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.

Inhibiting ERα expression in the medial amygdala increases prosocial behavior in male meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus).

This study tested the hypothesis that site-specific estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression is a critical factor in the expression of male prosocial behavior and aggression. Previous studies have shown that in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) low levels of ERα expression, in the medial amygdala (MeA), play an essential role in the expression of high levels of male prosocial behavior and that increasing ERα expression reduced male prosocial behavior. We used an shRNA adeno-associated viral vector to knock down/inhibit ERα in the MeA of the polygynous male meadow vole (M.

Inter- and intra-mouse variability in odor preferences revealed in an olfactory multiple-choice test.

Animals choose between sensory stimuli, a highly complex behavior which includes detection, discrimination, preference, and memory processes. Rodents are reported to display robust preferences for some odors, for instance, in the context of choosing among possible mates or food items. In contrast to the apparent robustness of responses toward these and other "ethologically relevant" odors, little is known about the robustness of behaviors toward odors which have no overt role in the rodent ecological niche, so-called "nonethologically relevant" odors.

Puzzle-based versus traditional lecture: comparing the effects of pedagogy on academic performance in an undergraduate human anatomy and physiology II lab.

Background: A traditional lecture-based pedagogy conveys information and content while lacking sufficient development of critical thinking skills and problem solving. A puzzle-based pedagogy creates a broader contextual framework, and fosters critical thinking as well as logical reasoning skills that can then be used to improve a student's performance on content specific assessments. This paper describes a pedagogical comparison of traditional lecture-based teaching and puzzle-based teaching in a Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab.

A novel model for neuroendocrine toxicology: neurobehavioral effects of BPA exposure in a prosocial species, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster).

Impacts on brain and behavior have been reported in laboratory rodents after developmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), raising concerns about possible human effects. Epidemiological data suggest links between prenatal BPA exposure and altered affective behaviors in children, but potential mechanisms are unclear. Disruption of mesolimbic oxytocin (OT)/vasopressin (AVP) pathways have been proposed, but supporting evidence is minimal.