Topic: bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

Dysregulation in the vasopressinergic system has been linked to social behavior deficits and Autism in humans. We utilized Shank3B+/- mice, a murine ASD model, to examine social behavior abnormalities associated with the pathology. Our findings not only confirmed well-documented sociability deficit, but also revealed a reduction in social aggression. We hypothesized that a dysregulated vasopressinergic system might contribute to the observed impairments in social behavior. The lateral septum (LS), a brain region implicated in social behaviors and densely innervated with arginine vasopressin (A

Parenting is essential for the well-being of newborns. Laboratory virgin female mice exhibit parental behaviors, including pup retrieval, a phenotype that becomes progressively more efficient when exposed to multiple pups. Yet, the neuronal substrate that supports such behavioral improvement remains unexplored. Previous studies highlight the lateral habenula (LHb) as a substrate for parental behaviors in virgin females. Notably, a population of LHb cells innervated by the excitatory bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) shows increased activity during pup retrieval. Consistently, perturba

Serotonin has been linked to a broad array of behavioral and affective states, yet technological limitations have historically constrained the interrogation of this circuitry. Originating from the raphe nuclei, the serotonin system exhibits distinct projections to both cortical and subcortical networks, engaging in widespread communication with downstream targets. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most commonly prescribed pharmacological treatments for depression/anxiety, yet it is mostly unknown how they impact endogenous serotonin function. Notably, SSRIs take app

Anxiety, a heightened state of arousal and negative affect, is an adaptive response essential for increasing awareness of potential threats in the environment. Research on the mechanisms leading to the pathological development of this response is crucial. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is recognized as a key brain region for encoding information related to salient stimuli, and in recent years, has been attributed a novel role as a threat encoder and coordinator of defensive behaviors. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) actively mediates responses to uncertainty in the environment