Tag

Neural Circuits

All articles tagged with #neural circuits

science2 days ago•83 min saved

Fly brain circuit uses inhibition to switch between tracking and memory

Researchers have identified a specific mechanism in the fruit fly brain that allows it to rapidly switch between tracking real-time sensory input and storing that information as a stable memory. By analyzing the central complex, scientists found that inhibitory signals act as a gate, decoupling two interconnected neuron populations to either follow a heading compass or lock in a navigational goal. This 'split attractor' design solves the trade-off between stability and flexibility in working memory, allowing the brain to update its internal map quickly without losing the current objective. While this study focuses on invertebrate navigation, it provides a biological blueprint for how recurrent networks manage dynamic information, offering insights applicable to broader cognitive functions and artificial intelligence models.

via Nature|

#attractor-networks #drosophila #neural-circuits

science16 days ago•77 min saved

Glassfish brains detect predator threats via neighbors' sudden disappearance

Researchers at UC San Diego have identified the neural mechanisms allowing schooling glassfish to detect danger through social cues. By observing the escape or sudden disappearance of neighbors, fish trigger collective avoidance, a strategy vital for survival in low-visibility environments.

via Nature|

#animal-behavior #collective-intelligence #ecology

neuroscience23 days ago•147 min saved

Human cortical organoids form integrated xenocortex in mice

Researchers depleted the mouse dorsal pallium and neonataly engrafted human stem-cell–derived cortical organoids (hCOs) to create xenocortical (XCX) mice, in which hCOs expand to occupy most of the cortex, differentiate into diverse human cortical cell types (including layer 5 ET neurons), and integrate with host circuits as shown by in vivo calcium imaging and electrophysiology. Behavioral analyses reveal largely preserved locomotion with selective deficits in tasks needing neocortex/hippocampus, while unsupervised MoSeq analysis indicates grafts yield distinct but intermediate behavioral repertoires. The platform also enables modeling of hypoxic injury to developing human cortical tissue and could facilitate disease modeling and therapeutic discovery using large human-derived cortical grafts and behavioral readouts.

via Nature|

#in-vivo #neural-circuits #neuroscience

science2 months ago•4 min saved

From a cyclops-like ancestor to modern eyes: new theory on vertebrate eye origin

Researchers propose vertebrate eyes evolved from a cyclops-like, midline median eye in a 600-million-year-old ancestor; as the lineage regained mobility, parts of that central eye were repurposed to form image-forming eyes, while the pineal gland in the brain may preserve this ancient vision lineage, helping explain why vertebrate retina develops from brain tissue.

via ScienceDaily|

#eye-evolution #median-eye #neural-circuits

science2 months ago•8 min saved

Single Dose of Rapamycin Rapidly Reverses Autism-Like Symptoms in Adult Mice

Maternal inflammation during pregnancy induces lasting autism-like brain changes in mice; a single dose of rapamycin quickly normalized neuronal activity, reduced seizures, and improved sensory processing and repetitive behaviors within about two hours. The effects were temporary and rapamycin is not a practical human treatment, but the study highlights the brain's functional adaptability and points to new targets in mTOR signaling and circuit modulation.

via ScienceDaily|

#autism #mice #neural-circuits

science3 months ago•2 min saved

Light Awakens the Darkness: Blind Cavefish Move More in Illumination

Florida Atlantic University researchers found that the blind Mexican cavefish become more active when exposed to light, a light-evoked photokinesis opposite to surface fish, driven by dopamine signaling and repurposed brain circuits; the behavior appears heritable, offering insights into brain evolution and potential relevance to human neurological conditions.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#cavefish #dopamine #evolution

science4 months ago•20 min saved

Fruit fly connectome reveals distributed, modular motor control across brain and nerve cord

The first densely reconstructed adult Drosophila connectome spanning brain and ventral nerve cord shows effector neurons are largely governed by local sensory inputs within the same body part, while long-range ascending and descending circuits link parts into behavior-centric modules. Brain regions tied to learning and navigation supervise these circuits, revealing a distributed, parallel, embodied control architecture reminiscent of engineered distributed systems.

via Nature|

#brain-connectome #distributed-control #drosophila

science4 months ago•3 min saved

Targeted amygdala circuit tweak reverses anxiety in mice

A study in iScience links imbalanced activity of a Grik4/GluK4-rich neuron group in the basolateral amygdala to anxiety-like and social withdrawal behaviors in mice. Restoring this balance to improve signaling with centrolateral inhibitory neurons reversed anxiety and social deficits in both a genetic model and wild-type mice with high anxiety, though some memory issues persisted, hinting at broader circuit targets for affective disorders.

via ScienceDaily|

#amygdala #anxiety #gluk4

science4 months ago•138 min saved

Designer electrical synapses enable long-term, cell-type-specific circuit editing in mammals

A team engineered a heterotypic electrical synapse using Morone americana connexins Cx34.7 and Cx35 (Cx34.7(M1)–Cx35(M1)) that dock exclusively with each other and not with endogenous mammalian connexins. They developed FETCH to screen docking compatibility, used computational modeling to design docking-specific mutants, and demonstrated functional, selective coupling in vitro and in vivo. In C. elegans, the designer synapse recoded a thermotaxis circuit similarly to native Cx36–Cx36 connections; in mice, targeted LinCx editing between PYR neurons and PV+ interneurons in the prefrontal cortex enhanced theta–HFO coupling and altered neuronal dynamics and social/exploratory behaviors. This work establishes a platform for durable, precise circuit modification with potential therapeutic applications.

via Nature|

#circuit-editing #connexins #gap-junctions

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Relapse Switch: PV Neurons Regulate Addiction Circuits

New findings show relapse in addiction results from a circuit-level imbalance in the prefrontal cortex: parvalbumin-positive (PV) inhibitory neurons act as a gate on the PFC-to-VTA reward pathway. Suppressing PV cells reduced cocaine-seeking in mice, while activating them sustained drug-seeking after withdrawal; the effect is specific to drug rewards, not sugar, and not observed in other inhibitory cells. This reveals a targetable mechanism for relapse and suggests precision therapies to rebalance this circuit.

via Neuroscience News|

#addiction #neural-circuits #parvalbumin-neurons

science8 months ago•34 min saved

Pyramidal cells steer interneuron fate to shape cortical circuits

A Nature study shows pyramidal neuron subtypes actively sculpt cortical interneuron diversity by promoting their survival and terminal differentiation; in Fezf2 mutants lacking L5b pyramidal neurons, SST interneurons alter programmed cell death and PVALB interneurons switch subtype identity, via activity-independent PN–interneuron signaling and multiple molecular pathways, with a bioinformatic screen identifying candidate ligands and adhesion molecules.

via Nature|

#cortical-development #fezf2 #interneurons

science9 months ago•6 min saved

Scientists Develop Advanced Sensors to Decode Brain Cell Communication

Researchers have developed iGluSnFR4, a highly sensitive protein sensor that can detect faint incoming glutamate signals between neurons in real time, enabling a deeper understanding of neural computation, brain communication, and potential insights into neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and autism.

via Neuroscience News|

#brain-communication #glutamate-signaling #neural-circuits

science10 months ago•5 min saved

Research Reveals Innate Structures in Human Brain Development

Scientists found that human brain circuits produce ordered electrical patterns even before sensory experiences, suggesting that our brains are prewired with internal timing rules for understanding the world, as demonstrated through experiments on brain organoids and neonatal mouse slices.

via Earth.com|

#brain-development #early-neural-activity #neural-circuits

science11 months ago•140 min saved

Mouse Visual Cortex Develops Diverse Cell Types Continuously

The study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic and epigenomic atlas of mouse visual cortex development, revealing continuous cell-type diversification from embryonic to postnatal stages, with detailed trajectories for neuronal and glial cell types, enhancing understanding of cortical circuit formation.

via Nature|

#cell-development #mouse #neural-circuits

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Neural Mechanisms Regulating Fly Leg Movement and Balance

Researchers discovered that nerve cells sensing limb motion in fruit flies are turned off during movement, allowing the brain to switch between stabilizing posture and enabling dynamic action. This neural circuit, involving interneurons, helps balance stability and movement, with potential implications for treating human motor disorders and injury recovery.

via Neuroscience News|

#fruit-flies #motor-control #neural-circuits