{"title":"Central regulation of cardio-behavioral responses: Circuit engagement during aversive emotional states","authors":"Silvia Rodriguez-Rozada , Philip Tovote","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dynamic cardiovascular control supports adaptive behavior under external and internal influences. Higher-order brain regions regulate stress-related cardiovascular changes via their influence on medullary nuclei, which control autonomic reflexes. Despite extensive research, the precise neural circuits linking cardiac function and behavior under emotional stress remain unclear. This review highlights recent studies identifying specific cell types and pathways involved in cardiovascular regulation, emphasizing their dynamical role under baseline and threat conditions. Cardiovascular responses are closely tied to behavior through descending brain-to-heart command pathways and ascending interoceptive feedback. Our framework for characterizing cardio-behavioral states under threat identifies rapid-acting “microstates” and slow-changing “macrostates” reflecting context- and time-dependent threat levels. Multidimensional measurements and integrated analytical approaches are required to study neural circuits controlling cardio-behavioral states. Understanding the homeodynamic regulation of cardiac function and its behavioral links is essential for unraveling brain-heart interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103105"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144908293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial overview: Introduction to neurobiology of learning and plasticity","authors":"Jason Shepherd, Hey-Kyoung Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103098","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103098"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144908292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bridging theory and experiment in (statistical) learning","authors":"Tara Keck","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Statistical learning and neuroplasticity have been studied extensively over the past decades by theorists and experimentalists working in animal and human experimental models, with neurobiologists, cognitive neuroscientists, and theorists each offering complementary inputs to the field. While there are collaborations between theorists and each of experimentalists working in animal and human models, there are more limited interactions across the experimental groups, with these fields remaining largely siloed. Here, we discuss the challenges for cross-disciplinary collaboration, as well as offer suggestions for ways to facilitate it in the future. We propose that theorists are in a key position to facilitate interactions between experimentalists working in animal and human models by developing theories or working models that span these two fields to enable cross-disciplinary collaboration. Increasing training for early career researchers to become skilled cross-disciplinary collaborators may also help facilitate future interactions in these fields.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103106"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developmental Neuroscience in the 21st Century","authors":"Lisa Goodrich, Song-Hai Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103091","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103091","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103091"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carola I. Radulescu, Kjara S. Pilch, Xingjian Wang, Fontaine Gibbs, Samuel J. Barnes
{"title":"Turning back time: Aging plasticity and its rejuvenation","authors":"Carola I. Radulescu, Kjara S. Pilch, Xingjian Wang, Fontaine Gibbs, Samuel J. Barnes","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As we age, our brain is influenced by experience and intrinsic biological changes. This combination of external and internal factors shapes the way in which our brain functions. Neuronal plasticity processes can store information about the sensory world and regulate neural-circuit activity levels to maintain stable neural-circuit function. These learning- and homeostasis-related plasticity processes exhibit age-related changes. Developing a better understanding of such age-related changes may open opportunities for rejuvenation strategies that promote plasticity and improve neurological health in later life. Here we review some of the latest work investigating age-related plasticity changes with a specific focus on sensory cortices. We propose that a better understanding of age-related tipping points in the context of plasticity could facilitate timed intervention strategies that may promote resilience during aging, by boosting the efficacy of endogenous plasticity mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103097"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Memorability reflects statistical regularities of the environment","authors":"Cambria Revsine , Wilma A. Bainbridge","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103095","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103095","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The field of statistical learning research has had great success in characterizing people's ability to extract regularities in time and space, but questions remain as to exactly what and how individuals learn over the lifetime. We propose that the field of stimulus memorability research can offer insight to these questions. Sensitivity to memorability, the consistencies in what people remember and forget, is intrinsically linked to statistical learning, as both reflect the prioritization of meaningful input in the environment. Parallels in behavioral responses, developmental trajectories, and neural substrates between the two cognitive processes are discussed. We also offer ways in which both fields can continue to evolve, primarily by using naturalistic, multisensory paradigms, which can lead to a more robust understanding of how statistical learning occurs in the real world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103095"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gut-brain communication in Drosophila melanogaster","authors":"Nilay Yapici","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103096","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103096","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past decades, significant advancements have transformed our understanding of the gut-brain circuits in <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em>. In this review, we explore how mapping these circuits and signaling pathways has deepened our knowledge of the neural and hormonal pathways that regulate nutrient preference, feeding behavior, metabolism, and other homeostatic behaviors in flies. We summarize the recent breakthroughs in gut-brain communication and highlight how these advancements have provided valuable insights into the complex relationship between the gut and the brain. Finally, we emphasize the importance of <em>Drosophila</em> as a model system for investigating gut-brain communication. Insights from fly research not only enhance our understanding of fundamental gut-brain biology but also provide promising avenues for identifying molecular targets for therapeutic strategies in humans for gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103096"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kathryn L. Todd , Kaitlyn M.L. Cramb , Katherine R. Brimblecombe , Stephanie J. Cragg
{"title":"New insights into axonal regulators of dopamine transmission in health and disease","authors":"Kathryn L. Todd , Kaitlyn M.L. Cramb , Katherine R. Brimblecombe , Stephanie J. Cragg","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103093","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103093","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dopamine release in the striatum is credited with being critical to the selection and learning of motivated actions and outcomes. Dysregulation of striatal dopamine release underlies multiple disorders of action selection and reward-processing, such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and addiction disorders, and is a major target for therapeutic interventions. The axonal molecular and circuit mechanisms governing dopamine exocytosis are incompletely resolved, but accumulating evidence suggests some key points of divergence from canonical neurotransmitter synapses. In this review, we bring together recent insights into mechanisms shaping dopamine transmission in the striatum, spanning the molecular machinery regulating exocytosis, striatal modulators locally governing release probability, and the mechanisms regulating dopamine vesicle endocytosis. Together, these findings continue to support points of divergence from canonical presynaptic mechanisms, they inform principles of axonal neuromodulation, and point to potential contributions to the susceptibility to neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103093"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Plasticity of brain sexual dimorphism as revealed by sex changing fish","authors":"Gabriel J. Graham, Justin S. Rhodes","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sex determination in coral reef fish is highly plastic, with many species displaying socially controlled sequential hermaphroditism. In these species, social hierarchy cues trigger sex change, initiating transformations in neuroanatomy, physiology, morphology, and behavior. The process begins in the brain, where shifts in dominance status alter cortisol release and neuromodulator signaling, including dopamine and arginine vasotocin. Radial glia detect these changes and modulate local estradiol synthesis via brain aromatase production that in turn influences neurogenesis and gene expression in multiple types of glia and neurons involved in pituitary-gonadotroph regulation. The altered gonadotroph control directs the gonadal transformation. Mechanistically, protogyny (female-to-male) typically occurs faster than protandry (male-to-female), with differences in the order of behavioral, gonadal, and morphological changes. Understanding these processes in sex-changing fish provides valuable insights into the neural and endocrine mechanisms underlying reproductive plasticity, with broader implications for neuroendocrinology and the evolution of sex differences in vertebrates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103094"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144829435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Astroglial regulation of critical period plasticity in the developing brain","authors":"Jérôme Ribot , Rachel Breton , Glenn Dallérac , Nathalie Rouach","doi":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103092","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.conb.2025.103092","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Astrocytes emerge as pivotal regulators of brain plasticity during critical periods (CPs) of development. Beyond their traditional roles in supporting neuronal function, astrocytes actively shape synaptic circuits maturation and remodeling during postnatal experience-dependent plasticity. Through mechanisms such as regulation of the extracellular matrix or synaptic pruning, astrocytes influence the timing and extent of plasticity across sensory and cognitive systems. These processes have been demonstrated in various animal models and forms of plasticity, indicating that these glial cells play a conserved role across species. Such findings unveil the dynamic and central role of astrocytes in coordinating the complex interplay between neural circuits and external stimuli during critical windows of brain development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10999,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Neurobiology","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 103092"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144827805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}