Neuroplasticity

Compare neuroplasticity after cortical and subcortical visual-system damage across children and adults, using evidence from animal models and human patients. The meeting will examine competing interpretations, develop new hypotheses and consider how the findings could inform rehabilitation and other translational applications. The meeting is intended for researchers in relevant fields, with free virtual and in-person attendance and advance registration required. Optional lunch costs £25 per day. Poster abstracts of up to 200 words are due on 2027-02-05; the session takes place on the first day

…in symptoms and motivation, possible neuroplasticity mechanisms, the small uncontrolled sample and the need for larger randomized studies and clinical safeguards.

…Changes in brain organization (neuroplasticity) often occur following periventricular white matter injury. These changes vary widely depending on the timing, location, and extent of the injury, as well as the functional system involved. Currently, we have limited knowledge of neuroplas

Psychedelics like psilocybin have shown rapid and long-lasting efficacy on depressive and anxiety symptoms. Other psychedelics with shorter half-lives, such as DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, have also shown promising preliminary outcomes in major depression, making them interesting candidates for clinical practice. Despite several promising clinical studies, the influence of the context on therapeutic responses or adverse effects remains poorly documented. To address this, we conducted preclinical studies evaluating the psychopharmacological profile of 5-MeO-DMT in contexts previously validated in mice as

…be an impact of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity and cortical excitability. Evidence suggests that motor learning and cortical excitability alterations correlate with the intensity of aerobic exercise and the activity level of participants. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effects of different aerobic exercise intensities on motor learning and cortical excitability in healthy individuals. Methods: The study was conducted in a cross-over and double-bli

Our ability to develop, learn, and adapt depends on the brain’s capacity to change over time. To analyze plasticity processes over time in individual animals, we introduced a novel technique that enables immediate-early gene (IEG) activity to be mapped noninvasively using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using this method, called IEG BLUsH, we interrogated the spatiotemporal relationships between neural activity and plasticity gene induction in an opioid administration paradigm. IEG activity and functional MRI (fMRI) signals were recorded following fentanyl treatments lasting several days (Fi

…and sensorimotor performance, and neuroplasticity markers. For that, 24 aged rats

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established treatment for psychiatric disorders. Recent reports show that ECT improves motor deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD), while the mechanism of action remains unclear. To investigate the effects of ECT in PD, we produced partial dopaminergic depletion by unilateral striatal injection of 6-OHDA. After three weeks, behavioral testing was performed using the open field and corridor test. Animals with a lateralized phenotype were randomized into ECT or sham treatment. After a two-week treatment interval with daily ECT, behavioral testing was repe

Psychiatric disorders have pathophysiological changes in dysfunction and altered neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), while atypical antipsychotics are able to modulate neuroplasticity. It has been reported that exercise may upregulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus through the action of beta-hydroxybutyrate. Previously, our study showed that plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate level was reduced by exercise, but significantly increased by exercise+risperidone co-treatment in juvenile female rats. Therefore, this study aimed to assess t

Neuroplasticity refers to functional and structural changes in brain regions in response to healthy and pathological activity. Neuroplasticity induced by epileptic activity can involve healthy brain regions into the epileptogenic network by perturbing their excitation/inhibition balance. Here, we present a new neural mass model that accounts for neuroplasticity and that is used to investigate the possible mechanisms underlying the epileptogenic network expansion. We formulate physiological calcium-mediated synaptic plasticity and pathological structural plasticity in a multiple-timescale frame

…critically contribute to post-stroke neuroplasticity and can help promote stroke recovery.We investigated the role of perineuronal nets (PNNs), facet-like ECM layers surrounding fast-spiking interneurons, in neurological recovery following focal cerebral ischemia in mice. Using superresolution stimulated emission depletion (STED), stru

…neuronal ensembles, or “engrams”, and neuroplasticity is believed to be the underlying mechanism that allows the formation or remodeling of these ensembles, thus allowing memory modifications. Critically, the hippocampus has been described as a central hub for neuronal ensembles. In the context of fear memory, the representation of the hippocampal neuronal ensemble has been characterized, while little is known about the neuronal ensemble within the hippocampus and the upstream circuits in spatial learning and memory. With

Type 2 spastic paraplegia (SPG2) is a rare genetic disorder caused by null mutations in the gene encoding for the proteolipid protein 1, essential for myelin sheath formation around nerve fibers in the central nervous system (CNS). SPG2 manifests as progressive stiffness and weakness in the legs, accompanied by white matter abnormalities and axonal degeneration in the CNS. These myelin abnormalities impair neural communication, impacting motor function, cognition and may contribute to neuropsychological conditions like anxiety. Leriglitazone, a brain-penetrant PPARγ full agonist, has shown

It is well-established that neurodegenerative diseases lead to structural and functional reconfigurations in neural networks. However, it is less clear how altered network dynamics contribute to increased vulnerability of specific neuronal populations to disease onset and spread. Here, we aimed to identify how ALS pathology affects the structural and functional dynamics of motor neuron networks, and the underlying biological pathways that contribute to cause such dysfunction. Multielectrode arrays (MEAs) enable longitudinal assessment of electrophysiological activity in vitro, thus facilitatin

Aims. Psychedelics produce fast and persistent antidepressant effects and induce neuroplasticity resembling the effects of clinically approved antidepressants. We have recently found that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) directly bind to TrkB, the receptor for BDNF. Our data suggest that antidepressant and plasticity promoting-effect of psychedelics are mediated by TrkB. Our objective is to test in vivo the effect of LSD on brain functional connectivity, more specifically on the default mode network, and the impact of the modulation of TrkB receptor on this effect. Methods. Functional Ultrasou

We hypothesize neuroplasticity in central auditory pathways play a key role in cochlear implant outcomes. Following initial cochlear implant activation, we track psychophysical abilities (spectral discrimination) in both adult-deafened humans and rats and relate these measures to speech perception (humans) and sensory encoding in the auditory cortex (A1, rats).In humans, we sent newly implanted subjects (N=3) home with a tablet and tracked spectral (quick-spectral modulation detection, QSMD) and temporal acuity (modulation-detection test, MDT). Speech perception was tested in-lab (CNC 30). Ove

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining the physical and mental well-being of the host. It is influenced by diverse factors, including pesticides. Glyphosate, a globally used herbicide, is understood to be harmless to humans as it targets the shikimate pathway, which is absent in animal cells. However, this idea is now being challenged as research suggests that glyphosate may negatively affect the pathway in microorganisms residing in the gut, such as gut bacteria, which could have an impact on the host. Former research has tested either high dose exposure for toxicological effe

Adolescence, a critical stage of development characterized by increased neuroplasticity, is marked by a significant risk for the onset of psychiatric disorders. Inflammatory events during this period may increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders, with tryptophan metabolism playing a potential role in this process.Our goal was to investigate whether exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) during adolescence impacts emotional behaviour and the inflammatory response in adult animals in a sex-specific manner. Male and female C57BL6J mice were injected at PND36 with LPS (0.1 mg/kg i.p.) or

Excitatory and Inhibitory indexes measured by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) allow the investigation of neuronal transmission and plasticity of the primary motor cortex (M1). Various forms of local GABAergic activity in the human M1 can be examined using paired-pulse paradigms (Sasaki et al., 2021). Intracortical facilitation (ICF), a glutamate-mediated excitatory index, is contrasted with short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), an inhibitory index dependent on the GABAergic system (Rotenberg et al., 2014). Mirror neurons, which fire both during action observation and executio

…a candidate mechanism for modulating neuroplasticity. We investigated the changes in activation (cFos expression) and in plasticity (PNN expression) in different regions of the FC through immunolabeling and confocal microscopy in rats selected as high or

…Stress leads to impaired neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation, but these effects can be ameliorated by physical activity. Mechanistically, neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation are linked through the fractalkine pathway, whose receptor CX3CR1 is exclusively expressed on microglia in the brain. We previously linked CX3CR1 deficiency to impaired neuroplasticity and microglial function in the motor cortex (M1) and showed that, depending on stress vulnerability, stress also leads to impaired motor l

Research on the effects of bilingualism on the structure of the brain has so far yielded variable patterns. Although it cannot be disputed that learning and using additional languages restructures the brain, the reported effects vary considerably, including both increases and reductions in grey matter volume and white matter diffusivity. This presentation reviews the available evidence and compares it to patterns from other domains of skill acquisition, culminating in the Dynamic Restructuring Model, a theory which synthesises the available evidence from the perspective of experience-based neu

Neuroplasticity is a fundamental property of the nervous system that is maximal early in life, within a specific temporal window called critical period. However, it is still unclear to which extent the plastic potential of the visual cortex is retained in adulthood. We have surprisingly revealed residual ocular dominance plasticity in adult humans by showing that short-term monocular deprivation unexpectedly boosts the deprived eye (both at the perceptual and at the neural level), reflecting homeostatic plasticity. This effect is accompanied by a decrease of GABAergic inhibition in the primary

To build an appropriate representation of the sensory stimuli around the world, neural circuits are wired according to both intrinsic factors and external sensory stimuli. Moreover, the brain circuits have the capacity to rewire in response to altered environment, both during early development and throughout life. In this talk, I will give an overview about my past research in studying the dynamic processes underlying functional maturation and plasticity in rodent sensory cortices. I will also present data about the current and future research in my lab – that is, the synaptic and circuit me