Topic: somatosensory processing

Our understanding of how developmental cell death contributes to the formation of brain circuits remains limited. Cajal-Retzius cells (CRs) constitute a major transient neuronal population in the mammalian neocortex, which largely disappears at the time of postnatal somatosensory maturation. In this study, we used mouse genetics, anatomical, functional and behavioral approaches to explore the impact of the early postnatal death of CRs in the maturation of the cortical circuit. We find that CRs apoptosis plays a crucial role in facilitating the proper development of inhibitory connectivity from

Recent research has unveiled the aperiodic component of neural power spectra as a promising non-invasive biomarker for the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural processes (E-I balance), assessable through electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Through simulations and in vivo local field potential assessments, it has been demonstrated that a reduced slope of the aperiodic component indicates an excitatory state, whereas an increased slope suggests an inhibitory state. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of the aperiodic slope as a marker for E-I balance in somatose

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in TSC1/2 genes, leading to mTOR pathway dysregulation and diverse cellular impacts. Individuals with TSC face severely heightened risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), highlighting a genetic link between the two conditions. To model ASD etiology in the context of TSC, we developed a new mouse model with Tsc2 knockout induced mid-gestation in all postmitotic, GABAergic neurons. As ASD and TSC both involve somatosensory processing challenges, we utilized our mouse model to assess how the mutation affects the cortical a

Imagery of sensations and attention to them are mental operations that have similarities but differ in function. Imagery generates internal sensory representations while attention prioritizes external or internal signals. This distinction is less clear in certain sensory systems such as the somatosensory system. Our study aimed to explore neural activity changes induced by tactile imagery (TI) and tactile attention (TA). Given the established facilitatory effect of TI on somatosensory processing, our study also aimed to investigate the effects of TA on somatosensory processing.Ten participants