Neuropsychiatric disorders

Upstream regulators on the c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar, and autism. However, the mechanism of action of the JNK pathway in the context of these diseases is unknown. We previously identified that inhibition of JNK in dentate gyrus granule cells of mouse hippocampus induces a low anxiety- and low depressive-like phenotype (Mohammad et al., Molecular Psychiatry, 2018). However, whether JNK pathway activity in other brain regions contributes to these behaviours is not known. Here we use cell restrictive exp

…connectivity, increasing the risk for neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit/hyperac

…may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders is accumulating. We have examined the acute and subchronic (up to 18 days once per day intraperitoneally) effect of the

Stress during adolescence is a known risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders later in life, but how different factors alter the susceptibility to lasting cognitive or affective impairment is only partially understood. Here, we asked whether activin, a member of the TGF-β family, has a role in this process, the rationale being that activin affects the neural underpinnings of cognitive performance and affective behavior in the adult brain. We combined a mouse model of adolescent stress (corticosterone between postnatal days 30-45) with a transgenic mouse line expressing a dominant-negative mu

…to cognitive dysfunctions in brain disorders is not clear. Thus, we aim to identify the key metabolic pathways activated during complex cognitive functions. In this study, we will focus on metabolic pathways activated by d

Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, have a strong genetic basis and are linked to structural genomic changes such as copy number variations, including the 15q13.3 microdeletion. This study investigates the impact of the 15q13.3 microdeletion on neuronal maturation in the cerebral cortex, using a mouse model. We performed single-cell transcriptomics to analyse the transcriptomic changes in neuronal subtypes at different maturational stages. Compositional changes were validated with immunohistochemistry, while functional validation was conducted through calcium imaging and Patch-s

Neuropsychiatric disorders present a complex array of behavioral symptoms, often encompassing deficits in learning and memory. However, our comprehension of the synaptic and circuitry abnormalities underpinning these conditions remains somewhat constrained. Many of these disorders share genetic anomalies involving synaptic cell adhesion molecules, including neurexins (Nrxns), and their interactors, cerebellins (Cbln1-4), which have been implicated in synapse formation and plasticity. Of particular interest, Cbln4 is enriched in brain regions associated with the memory process, such as the pref

Neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders are a heterogeneous group of mental diseases affecting about 1-billion people worldwide. Common alterations are in the processing of social information, but dedicated pharmacological interventions are missing. Serotonin (5HT) is classically associated with the processing of social information. However, the role of 5HT dynamic, the related circuits and their pharmacological manipulation are still understudied. The serotonin transporter (SERT) re-uptakes 5HT after synaptic release and is widely expressed in the serotonergic terminals projecting t

Individuals affected by Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDDs), congenital disorders that severely compromise the immune system, frequently exhibit elevated levels of emotional distress, including depression and anxiety. However, their neurological manifestations are often considered a secondary effect of the patients’ poor quality of life and the potential underlying mechanisms linking genetic alterations in PIDDs to neurological conditions have not been explored so far. We aim to investigate whether genetic alterations in PIDD patients can directly contribute to affecting brain architect

…links to higher vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders.Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) is an epigenetic enzyme participating in the CoREST/HDAC2 corepressor complex regulating neuronal plasticity-related gene transcription. In the mammalian brain, LSD1 activity is modulated by its neurospecific splicing isoform neuroLSD1, lacking co-repressive activity as long as the ability to recruit corepressor partners. Numerou

…Animal models of several neuropsychiatric conditions suggest that compounds selectively activating, or positively modulating, cerebellar alpha6-containing GABA-A receptors can have highly beneficial effects on different diseases. For the case of essential tremor, flum

…the reduction of symptoms of various neuropsychiatric disorders. In humans, the acute neuronal effect of psychedelics is often measured by fMRI and EEG signals and their behaviour through subjective questionnaires. In rodents, behavioural testing is much more precise. However, fMRI is only possible in anaesthetized animals which poses its own limitations. Researchers have circumvented this challenge

…PVI expression is altered in various neuropsychiatric disorders and in some cases their manipulation

…differences in vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders. While value-based decision making processes in particular have been proposed to be influenced by sex differences, the overall correct performance in decision making tasks often show variable or minimal differences across sexes. Computational tools allow us to uncover latent variables that define different decision making approaches, even in animals with similar correct performance. Here, we quantify sex differences in mice in the latent variables underlying

…of synapses underlie various neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism, schizophrenia and intellectual disability. The

…research on working memory deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders. We have constr

Join us to hear about degrees and careers in neuroscience, what it’s like to be a neuroscientist, the wide range of career options open to you after a neuroscience degree, first-hand examples of career paths in neuroscience, and some tips and thoughts to help you in your own careers. This free and friendly webinar will give you the chance to ask questions from people with different experiences in neuroscience: - Emma Soopramanien, the BNA Committee Representative for Students and Early Career Researchers – Emma has just completed her undergraduate course in neuroscience, and will be hosting th

Empathy plays a critical role in social interactions, and many species, including rodents, display evolutionarily conserved behavioral antecedents of empathy. In both humans and rodents, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) encodes information about the affective state of others. However, little is known about which downstream targets of the ACC contribute to empathy behaviors. We optimized a protocol for the social transfer of pain behavior in mice and compared the ACC-dependent neural circuitry responsible for this behavior with the neural circuitry required for the social transfer of two rel

In this webinar, Dr Ye Tian and A/Prof Andrew Zalesky will present new research on mapping the functional architecture of the human subcortex. They used 3T and 7T functional MRI from more than 1000 people to map one of the most detailed functional atlases of the human subcortex to date. Comprising four hierarchical scales, the new atlas reveals the complex topographic organisation of the subcortex, which dynamically adapts to changing cognitive demands. The atlas enables whole-brain mapping of connectomes and has been used to optimise targeting of deep brain stimulation. This joint work with P