Repeated social stress increases posterior medial amygdala neuronal activity in stress-susceptible adult male rats.

The medial amygdala (MeA) is activated by social stimuli and manipulations of the MeA disrupt a wide range of social behaviors. Social stress can shift social behaviors and may accomplish this partly via effects on the MeA. However, very little is known about the effects of social stress on the electrophysiological activity of MeA neurons.

The pursuit of linear dosage in pharmacy: reservoir-based drug delivery systems from macro to micro scale.

Introduction: The pursuit of linear dosage in pharmacy is essential for achieving consistent therapeutic release and enhancing patient compliance. This review provides a comprehensive summary of zero-order drug delivery systems, with a particular focus on reservoir-based systems emanated from different microfabrication technologies.

Areas Covered: The consideration of recent advances in drug delivery systems is given to encompass the key areas including the importance of achieving a constant drug release rate for therapeutic applications.

Biological, environmental, and psychological stress and the human gut microbiome in healthy adults.

Emerging research suggests that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in stress. We assess stress-microbiome associations in two samples of healthy adults across three stress domains (perceived stress, stressful life events, and biological stress /Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia; RSA). Study 1 (n = 62; mean-age = 37.

Tactile imagery affects cortical responses to vibrotactile stimulation of the fingertip.

Mental imagery is a crucial cognitive process, yet its underlying neural mechanisms remain less understood compared to perception. Furthermore, within the realm of mental imagery, the somatosensory domain is particularly underexplored compared to other sensory modalities. This study aims to investigate the influence of tactile imagery (TI) on cortical somatosensory processing.

Shaping behaviors through social experience and their proposed sensitivity to stress.

Mammals have evolved with a range of innate drives, such as thirst and hunger, that promote motivated behaviors to ensure survival. A drive for social engagement promotes social interaction and bond formation. While a stable social environment maintains the opportunity for resource sharing and protection, an additional benefit is provided by the social transmission of information.

Olfactory neurofeedback: current state and possibilities for further development.

This perspective considers the novel concept of olfactory neurofeedback (O-NFB) within the framework of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), where olfactory stimuli are integrated in various BCI control loops. In particular, electroencephalography (EEG)-based O-NFB systems are capable of incorporating different components of complex olfactory processing - from simple discrimination tasks to using olfactory stimuli for rehabilitation of neurological disorders. In our own work, EEG theta and alpha rhythms were probed as control variables for O-NFB.

Restoration of natural somatic sensations to the amputees: finding the right combination of neurostimulation methods.

Unlabelled: Limb amputation results in such devastating consequences as loss of motor and sensory functions and phantom limb pain (PLP). Neurostimulation-based approaches have been developed to treat this condition, which provide artificial somatosensory feedback such as peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Yet, the effectiveness of different neurostimulation methods has been rarely tested in the same participants.

Identification of electromyographic patterns of bradykinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by rest tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Assessing the severity of these symptoms is typically done using the third part of the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS III), relying on subjective evaluations by neurologists, which may lead to challenges in result interpretation. To address this issue, incorporation of surface electromyography (sEMG) in diagnostics.

Effects of repeated social stress on risk assessment behaviors and response to diazepam in the elevated plus maze in adult male rats.

Anxiety is highly common, and stress is a major trigger for anxiety. Anxiety includes heightened threat assessment and avoidance, but we do not fully understand which components are sensitive to stress. Rodents show a balance of exploration and avoidance that incorporates threat assessment prior to making the relatively risky decision to explore an open area.

Stress-Resilience Impacts Psychological Wellbeing: Evidence from Brain-Gut Microbiome Interactions.

The brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) system plays an influential role on mental health. We characterized BGM patterns related to resilience using fecal samples and multimodal MRI. Data integration analysis using latent components showed the high resilience phenotype was associated with lower depression and anxiety symptoms, higher frequency of bacterial transcriptomes (related to environmental adaptation, genetic propagation, energy metabolism, anti-inflammation), increased metabolites (N-acetylglutamate; dimethylglycine), and cortical signatures (increased resting state functional connectivity between reward circuits and sensorimotor networks; decreased grey matter volume and white matter tracts within the emotion regulation network).

More Than a Small Brain: The Importance of Studying Neural Function during Development.

The nervous system contains complex circuits comprising thousands of cell types and trillions of connections. Here, we discuss how the field of "developmental systems neuroscience" combines the molecular and genetic perspectives of developmental neuroscience with the (typically adult-focused) functional perspective of systems neuroscience. This combination of approaches is critical to understanding how a handful of cells eventually produce the wide range of behaviors necessary for survival.

Spatial Transcriptomics and Single-Nucleus Multi-Omics Analysis Revealing the Impact of High Maternal Folic Acid Supplementation on Offspring Brain Development.

Folate, an essential vitamin B9, is crucial for diverse biological processes, including neurogenesis. Folic acid (FA) supplementation during pregnancy is a standard practice for preventing neural tube defects (NTDs). However, concerns are growing over the potential risks of excessive maternal FA intake.

Specific Disruption of Memory Reconsolidation of Conditioned Food Aversion in Snails by DNA Synthesis Inhibitors.

The involvement of DNA synthesis in the mechanisms of long-term memory reconsolidation in edible snails trained for conditioned food aversion was investigated. Administration of nucleoside analogs, such as 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine or 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine, which inhibit DNA synthesis, 1 h before or 1-3 h, but not 5 h after reminder with the conditioned stimulus led to memory impairment. One day after the inhibitor application and memory reactivation, a weakly expressed memory impairment (amnesia) was observed, which progressed over the next few days to the complete disappearance of behavioral memory expression.

Developmental Shifts in Amygdala Function.

Mammals have evolved with strategies to optimize survival and thrive in their native environment. This includes both physical and behavioral adaptations, and extends to their social environment. However, within a social context, the roles of an animal change across development, and their behavior and biology must update to match these changes.

Experiences of discrimination are associated with microbiome and transcriptome alterations in the gut.

Background: Discrimination is a recognized psychosocial stressor that has been linked to various negative health outcomes. This study explored the impact of discrimination on gut health, specifically focusing on microbiome changes, predicted metagenomic differences, transcriptomic profiles, and the potential for using a multi-omic approach to predict discrimination to identify discrimination status for an individual. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive investigation involving male and premenopausal female participants, using the Everyday Discrimination Scale to classify them into either high or low discrimination.

Exchange of free and capsule conjugated cyanine dyes between cells.

Fluorescent dyes (especially photoconvertible cyanine dyes) are traditionally used as labels to study single-cell or cell-group interactions and migration. Nevertheless, their application has some disadvantages, such as cytotoxicity and dye transfer between cells during co-cultivation. The latter can lead to serious distortions in research results.

Convergence between brain aging and Alzheimer's disease: Focus on mitochondria.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for the majority of dementia cases, with aging being the primary risk factor for developing this neurodegenerative condition. Aging and AD share several characteristics, including the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic loss, and neuroinflammation. This overlap suggests that mechanisms driving the aging process might also promote AD; however, the underlying processes are not yet fully understood.

Long-term tracing of individual human neural cells using multiphoton microscopy and photoconvertible polymer capsules.

The study of human neural cells, their behaviour and migration are important areas of research in the biomedical field, particularly for potential therapeutic applications. The safety of using neural cells in therapy is still a concern due to a lack of information on long-term changes that may occur. While current methods of cell tracing explore gene manipulations, we elaborate approaches to cell marking with no genetic interference.

A Journey through the Minefield of the Discovery and Characterization of Latency-Related RNA/Latency-Associated Transcript.

Scientific knowledge evolves in small steps, with occasional backsteps to correct inaccuracies, all occurring within a competitive environment. This perspective for the first time looks at the history of latency-related RNA (LR-RNA) that was later renamed latency-associated transcript (LAT). At the 1986 International Herpesvirus Workshop (IHW) meeting in Leeds, England, Daniel L Rock and Anthony B Nesburn first reported the discovery of human herpes virus 1 (HSV-1) latency-related (LR) RNA that is antisense to ICP0.

Early-life obesogenic environment integrates immunometabolic and epigenetic signatures governing neuroinflammation.

Childhood overweight/obesity is associated with stress-related psychopathology, yet the pathways connecting childhood obesity to stress susceptibility are poorly understood. We employed a systems biology approach with 62 adolescent Lewis rats fed a Western-like high-saturated fat diet (WD, 41% kcal from fat) or a control diet (CD, 13% kcal from fat). A subset of rats underwent a 31-day model of predator exposures and social instability (PSS).