Typical development of synaptic and neuronal properties can proceed without microglia in the cortex and thalamus.

Brain-resident macrophages, microglia, have been proposed to have an active role in synaptic refinement and maturation, influencing plasticity and circuit-level connectivity. Here we show that several neurodevelopmental processes previously attributed to microglia can proceed without them. Using a genetically modified mouse that lacks microglia (Csf1r), we find that intrinsic properties, synapse number and synaptic maturation are largely normal in the hippocampal CA1 region and somatosensory cortex at stages where microglia have been implicated.

Increased basolateral amygdala metabolic activity during flavor familiarization: an experimental study.

Background: Novel flavors elicit a cautious neophobic response which is attenuated as the flavor becomes familiar and safe. The attenuation of neophobia reveals the formation of a safe memory. Previous lesion studies in rats have reported that basolateral amygdala integrity is required for taste neophobia, but not neophobia to flavor, i.

Minocycline treatment improves cognitive and functional plasticity in a preclinical mouse model of major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic, recurring, and potentially life-threatening illness, which affects over 300 million people worldwide. MDD affects not only the emotional and social domains but also cognition. However, the currently available treatments targeting cognitive deficits in MDD are limited.

Photobiomodulation effects on active brain networks during a spatial memory task.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) or the use of red to near-infrared irradiation spectrum, is a non-invasive intervention that produces neurostimulatory effects and reaches benefits in several pathologies as well as in healthy subjects. The main objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of PBM in a rat brain network on basal state and functional activity during the execution of a reversal task. Twenty-eight rats were divided into four groups: control group (n = 7), control photobiomodulation group (n = 8), behavioural group (n = 6) and behavioural photobiomodulation group (n = 7).

Early life stress due to repeated maternal separation alters the working memory acquisition brain functional network.

Unfortunately, adverse environments in early life are frequently found in most human populations. Early life stress leads to diverse cognitive impairments, some of them related to learning and memory and executive functions such as working memory (WM). We employ an animal model of early stress using repeated maternal separation (MS) for 4 h a day on 21 consecutive days, pre-weaning.