Topic: estrous cycle

The computational study of neural circuits canonically assumes that the underlying connectivity of the network is static in the absence of learning. However, it has long been understood that endocrine factors can influence network connectivity in a cyclical manner, as demonstrated by a reliable 30% fluctuation in synaptic density observed across the estrous cycle in vitro. Despite this, the mechanisms underlying endocrine modulation of the hippocampal network remain poorly understood. Here, we used chronic two-photon (2P) imaging to demonstrate that both dendritic spine turnover and place cell

Growing evidence suggests that striatal-related behaviors and pathologies display clear sexual dimorphism. Previous research linking sex and striatal function has focused primarily on the effects of spiny projection neurons (SPNs). Sex hormones have been proposed to also modulate the activity of striatal interneurons, although this modulation has only been investigated at the behavioral level. In this study, we combined ex vivo pharmacological and optogenetic approaches with fiber photometry to examine how sex and the estrous cycle affect the FSIs’ integration of thalamic inputs and intrinsic