The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is crucial for the modulation of sleep-related oscillations. The caudal and rostral subpopulations of the TRN exert diverse activities, which arise from their interconnectivity with all thalamic nuclei, as well as other brain regions. Despite the recent characterization of the functional and genetic heterogeneity of the TRN, the implications of this heterogeneity for sleep regulation have not been assessed. Here, using a combination of optogenetics and electrophysiology in C57BL/6 mice, we demonstrate that caudal and rostral TRN modulations are associated with changes in cortical alpha and delta oscillations and have distinct effects on sleep stability. Tonic silencing of the rostral TRN elongates sleep episodes, while tonic silencing of the caudal TRN fragments sleep. Overall, we show evidence of distinct roles exerted by the rostral and caudal TRN in sleep regulation and oscillatory activity.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15908 | DOI Listing |
Cell Rep
January 2025
Lendület Thalamus Research Group, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address:
Movement and locomotion are controlled by large neuronal circuits like the cortex-basal ganglia (BG)-thalamus loop. Besides the inhibitory thalamic output, the BG directly control movement via specialized connections with the brainstem. Whether other parallel loops with similar logic exist is presently unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Struct Funct
January 2025
Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
In this study, we analyzed the spatio-temporal pattern of expression of specific transcription factors (PITX2, FOXA1, BARHL1, FOXP1, FOXP2) in the human fetal subthalamic nucleus and its neighboring structures from 11 postconceptional weeks (PCW) to 3 postnatal months. We found that all analyzed transcription factors are expressed already during the early fetal period (at 11 PCW). Both FOXP1- and FOXP2-immunoreactive cells were found in the subthalamic nucleus as well as in the striatum, thalamus, reticular nucleus, but not in the zona incerta.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFbioRxiv
January 2025
Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Neuronal subtypes derived from the embryonic hypothalamus and prethalamus regulate many essential physiological processes, yet the gene regulatory networks controlling their development remain poorly understood. Using single-cell RNA- and ATAC-sequencing, we analyzed mouse hypothalamic and prethalamic development from embryonic day 11 to postnatal day 8, profiling 660,000 cells in total. This identified key transcriptional and chromatin dynamics driving regionalization, neurogenesis, and differentiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSleep Adv
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Study Objectives: Sleep spindles, defining electroencephalographic oscillations of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) stage 2 sleep (N2), mediate sleep-dependent memory consolidation (SDMC). Spindles are also thought to protect sleep continuity by suppressing thalamocortical sensory relay. Schizophrenia is characterized by spindle deficits and a correlated reduction of SDMC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeliyon
November 2024
Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Sleep is crucial for maintaining brain homeostasis and individuals with insufficient sleep are prone to more pronounced brain atrophy as compared to sufficiently sleeping peers. Moreover, sleep quality deteriorates with ageing and ageing is also associated with cerebral structural and functional changes, pointing to their mutual bidirectional interrelationship. This study aimed at determining whether sleep quality and age, separately, affect brain integrity and subsequently, whether sleep significantly modulates the effect of age on brain structural and functional integrity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!