Topic: sensorimotor gating

The globus pallidus externa (GPe) is a basal ganglia structure with a high content of astrocytes compared to neighboring brain regions. Apart from its well-known role in locomotor behavior, recent studies showed that the GPe is also involved in cognitive functions, motivated behavior and sensory integration. The vast majority of studies has focused on neuronal subpopulations in GPe, while the function of the numerically superior astrocytes remain elusive. Recently, we showed that astrocytes in GPe express dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs), and their selective manipulation can have profound effects

Auditory processing is widely understood to occur differently in autism, though the exact brain activity underlying these differences is not well understood. The diversity of autism also means there may be multiple ways the network can change to produce a similar behavioural output. We used larval zebrafish to investigate auditory habituation in four genetic models of autism: fmr1, mecp2, scn1lab and cntnap2. Larval zebrafish are optically transparent, enabling whole-brain imaging of neural activity at single-cell resolution using genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6s. In free-swimming

CCN2 is a matricellular protein that plays important roles in connective tissue. CCN2 is also expressed in the nervous system; however, its role is still unclear. To explore CCN2 function in the brain, we generated forebrain-specific Ccn2 knockout (FbCcn2 KO) mice. In this study, we examined the behavioral phenotypes of FbCcn2KO mice. Male mice lacking CCN2 in the forebrain exhibited normal locomotion, sensorimotor gating, and social behaviors but signs of anxiety and elevated reactive aggression. We checked the c-fos expression in aggression-related brain regions following the resident-intrud

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with inflammatory activity in the GI tract and birth complications in pregnant women. The long-term impact of gestational IBD on offspring development, however, has not been examined. Here, we employed dextran sulfate sodium (DSS, 2.5% in drinking water on GD9-12) to induce colonic mucosa ulceration to the pregnant C57BL/6 mice dams. Offspring from DSS-treated dams were compared with non-treated dams at juvenile (PND 30) and adult age (PND 70) in behavioural tests sensitive to the acute gestational infection induced by polyinosinic:polycytidylic a

We investigated the potentially positive neurodevelopmental and enduring effects of neonatal handling (NH) on specific behavioral processes and gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of RHA versus RLA rats. Additionally, we explored associations between gene expression and behavioral responses. Male rats from both the RLA and RHA strains received NH or were left untreated (controls). Two different age groups were considered: adolescent and adults. The assessment encompassed exploratory behavior, social behavior, sensorimotor gating (PPI), and the analysis of gene expression associated with s

Sensory computations evolve as a function of internal state: are we hungry or satiated, sleepy or alert? To investigate how the brain implements this flexible processing of sensory information, we chose to study the larval zebrafish because of its well-defined behavioral repertoire and its optical accessibility for brain imaging. We recorded whole-brain activity at single cell resolution in freely moving fish while simultaneously presenting whole-field, dark-flash visual stimuli. Behaviorally, dark flashes reliably elicited high amplitude turn responses in awake and alert fish. Neurally, they