Topic: neuropeptide Y

Cortex harbors a diverse range of inhibitory interneuron (IN) types, each of which shapes cortical activity in a unique way. Collectively, these INs control and orchestrate neuronal activity, thereby bestowing cortex with its computational power. Whereas genetic markers have greatly facilitated the study of various cortical IN types, a selective marker for INs in L1 has long been missing. Here, we use the recently identified neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NDNF) to characterize the properties of mouse auditory cortex L1INs in vitro. First, using in vitro patch-clamp recordings in combinati

Precise motor control relies on appropriate connections between subcerebral projection neurons (SCPN) in cerebral cortex and targets in brainstem and spinal cord. While cortical innervation of the spinal cord is crucial for skilled movement, input into the brainstem additionally fine-tunes movement and motor planning. The brainstem receives cortical input either through: 1) cortico-brainstem neurons (CBN) innervate brainstem directly without reaching into the spinal cord, 2) corticospinal neurons (CSN) project to the spinal cord while also branching in brainstem. Distinguishing between these t

Proinflammatory cytokines, for example interleukin (IL-)6, are discussed as biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders. However, it is not clear whether IL-6 may cause a dysregulation of emotional behaviors observed in posttraumatic stress (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders. Fear conditioning is a widely used paradigm to model memory-related features of PTSD in mice. We therefore tested auditory-cued fear memory features in male and female IL-6 knockout mice. We observed a reduced generalization of fear memory towards a non-conditioned tone, especially in female IL-6 k

According to the World Health Organization, there were over 340 million obese or overweight children and adolescents worldwide in 2016. Western diet consumption, based on refined sugars and high-fat foods, leads to obesity and negative effects on the brain, resulting in cognitive impairments even before changes in body weight. This is especially concerning for young people, since brain development, neurogenic processes, and neuronal maturation occur during this life period. Knowing this, our study aimed to analyze the effects of high-caloric diets on the hippocampus, particularly on the gamma-