Extinction

…bird lineages diversified after the extinction. Publisher illustrations connect fossils, anatomy and evolutionary relationships.

…despite environmental disruption and extinction.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key brain region involved in rewarding and aversive responses. The NAc is mainly composed of GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing either dopamine receptor D1 or D2. Some studies propose an antagonist role of D1- and D2-MSNs, whereas others suggest that both populations play distinct, but not necessarily opposing roles in valence behaviour.Here, we used deep brain 1-photon calcium imaging to follow NAc D1- or D2-MSN activity in response to opposing valence stimuli and during associative learning. In addition, we used optogenetics to further unravel t

Early adversities can shape adult behavior, and the early developmental period is an important temporal window for the maturation of brain structures. Potential different phenotypes resulting from environmental modifications during development can eventually impact susceptibility to psychiatric disorders and contribute to the emergence of eating disorders, substance abuse, as well as alter cognitive processes and memory formation. Maternal separation (MS) is a model of early stress that leads to long-lasting changes in the responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as b

The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is known for its pivotal role in contextual fear conditioning, receiving inputs from both corticocortical and subcortical pathways, including the nucleus incertus in the pontine tegmentum. This region contains a GABAergic projection rich in relaxin-3 (RLN3), which acts via its Gi/o-protein-coupled receptor, RXFP3. To investigate the involvement of this peptidergic system in contextual fear conditioning, we bilaterally injected adult rat RSC with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing the chimeric RXFP3 agonist R3/I5 or a control AAV and subjected them to cont

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) presents a significant challenge in mental health, often stemming from traumatic social experiences and manifesting as profound fear and avoidance in social contexts. As one of the most prevalent neuropsychological disorders across adolescence and adulthood, its clinical importance is undeniable. However, the absence of a robust animal model has hindered comprehensive research efforts. In response, we developed a Social Fear Conditioning (SFC) mice model, mirroring the process of exposure therapy used in clinical settings.To elucidate age-dependent behavioral patt

Learning to identify and appropriately react to stimuli that predict threat is crucial for survival. Pavlovian fear conditioning is widely used to investigate the neuronal mechanisms of threat learning. In this study, we used fibre photometry calcium imaging in freely moving male and female mice to determine activity dynamics in nucleus accumbens (NAc), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and ventral hippocampus (vHip) during a Pavlovian fear conditioning task in which one auditory cue was paired with foot shock (CS+) and another remained unreinforced (CS-). Both cues elicited increased activity

In most animals including in humans, emotions occur together with changes in the body, such as variations in breathing or heart rate, sweaty palms, or facial expressions. It has been suggested that this interoceptive information acts as a feedback signal to the brain, enabling adaptive modulation of emotions that is essential for survival. As such, fear, one of our basic emotions, must be kept in a functional balance to minimize risk-taking while allowing for the pursuit of essential needs. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this adaptive modulation of fear remain poorly understood. In