Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience最新文献

{"title":"Domain-specific and sex-dependent behavioral alterations in the BTBR mouse model of autism.","authors":"Jacob Jackson, Conlan Houston, Miles Cornils, Ethan Plummer, Chunxiu Yu","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1932380","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1932380","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication deficits and restricted, repetitive behaviors, often accompanied by motor, cognitive, and anxiety-related alterations. Although ASD is diagnosed more frequently in males than females, females remain underrepresented in preclinical studies, limiting understanding of sex-dependent phenotypes. The BTBR T⁺ Itpr3^tf/J (BTBR) mouse strain is a widely used animal model of ASD, yet its sex-specific behavioral profiles across functional domains remain incompletely characterized. Here, we conducted a systematic, multi-domain behavioral assessment in male and female BTBR mice and wild-type (WT) controls, examining action control, motor learning, social behavior, and anxiety-related exploration. Despite normal acquisition of instrumental responding, BTBR mice exhibited altered action control characterized by reduced habitual responding and persistent sensitivity to action-outcome contingencies following extended habit training, with effects being more pronounced in females. In the accelerating rotarod task, BTBR mice displayed impaired motor learning that was more prominent in males, whereas performance under constant-speed conditions indicated largely preserved baseline motor coordination. Social impairments were dimension-specific: BTBR males showed delayed initiation of social investigation, whereas BTBR females exhibited reduced social engagement. In the elevated plus maze (EPM), overall genotype effects were modest; However, sex-dependent differences emerged within BTBR strain, suggesting altered exploratory behavior and risk-assessment strategies rather than generalized anxiety-like behavior. Together, these findings identify domain- and sex-specific alterations in action selection, motor learning, social behavior and anxiety-related exploration in BTBR mice. These results highlight the importance of sex-stratified analyses in preclinical ASD research and provide a behavioral framework for investigating the mechanisms underlying ASD-relevant phenotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1932380"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13555209/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148918950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adolescent tickling incorporating handling is associated with reduced stress- and fear-related behaviors in socially isolated male rats.","authors":"Michimasa Toyoshima, Reina Tachihara, Tingbi Xiong, Keita Igarashi, Yukio Ichitani, Kazuo Yamada, Miyo Hori","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1869518","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1869518","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Social interactions are essential for neuronal development and emotional behavior. In particular, play behavior during adolescence facilitates neural and social development, whereas social isolation is detrimental and increases stress vulnerability in rodents. Furthermore, stress exposure during the juvenile and adolescent periods increases the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder in adulthood. Adolescent male rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations that reflect positive affect induced by rough-and-tumble play or tickling. We previously demonstrated that tickling, which mimics play behavior, induces positive affect and modulates fear-related behaviors as well as sympathoadrenal stress responses. Building on these findings, the present study investigated whether positive emotional experiences induced by this tickling procedure during adolescence can mitigate with long-term alterations in stress vulnerability following early-life stress exposure at weaning. Male Fischer rats were reared under three conditions from postnatal day 21: group-housed (three per cage), isolated (one per cage), or tickled (isolated and receiving 5 min of daily tickling stimulation). In adulthood, animals were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests, including the open-field, elevated plus-maze, forced swim, and fear conditioning tests. In rats that were socially isolated after weaning, repeated tickling incorporating handling during adolescence was associated with fewer behavioral alterations induced by juvenile foot-shock exposure and social isolation, particularly in the forced swim and fear conditioning tests. These findings suggest an association between positive experiences during adolescence and more favorable emotional outcomes following early-life stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1869518"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13602953/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149037506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reciprocal brain-behavior associations in gambling disorder revealed by theta cordance and directional predictive modeling.","authors":"Eda Yılmazer, Metin Çınaroğlu, Selami Varol Ülker, Sultan Tarlacı","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1707261","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1707261","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gambling disorder (GD) is a behavioral addiction characterized by impaired impulse control and fronto-limbic cortical dysfunction. EEG theta cordance, which integrates absolute and relative power to index regional cerebral perfusion and metabolism, has not previously been combined with directional predictive modeling in behavioral addiction research.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To compare regional resting-state theta cordance between GD patients and healthy controls (HCs), and to examine directional predictive associations between cortical cordance and clinical severity indices.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this retrospective observational study, 28 male patients with DSM-5 GD and 29 male HCs underwent 21-channel resting-state EEG (eyes-closed, 3-min artifact-free epochs; 4-8 Hz). Theta cordance was computed using the Leuchter algorithm and averaged into eight regions of interest. Clinical measures included the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and illness duration. Group differences were tested with independent-samples <i>t</i>-tests (with Bayesian complements) and Pearson correlations; an exploratory vector autoregressive (VAR)-based directional predictive framework was applied to cross-sectional observations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>GD patients showed significantly lower central (0.03 ± 1.18 vs. 1.25 ± 1.23; <i>t</i>(55) = -3.79, <i>p</i> < 0.001, <i>d</i> = -1.00) and higher left parietal cordance (<i>t</i>(55) = 2.12, <i>p</i> = 0.039, <i>d</i> = 0.56), with trend-level occipital (<i>p</i> = 0.058) and left temporal (<i>p</i> = 0.067) differences. No cordance-clinical correlations were significant (all <i>p</i> > 0.10). VAR-based analysis identified asymmetric predictive associations: prefrontal (<i>F</i> = 4.60, <i>p</i> = 0.042) and frontocentral cordance (<i>F</i> = 6.65, <i>p</i> = 0.017) with SOGS; central cordance with illness duration (<i>F</i> = 5.77, <i>p</i> = 0.024) and right temporal cordance (<i>F</i> = 5.53, <i>p</i> = 0.027); and reciprocal clinical-to-cortical associations (SOGS→central, <i>F</i> = 4.82, <i>p</i> = 0.038; duration→right temporal, <i>F</i> = 4.53, <i>p</i> = 0.044). HCs showed temporo-occipital directional patterns without clinical correlates.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Cortical theta cordance and clinical severity in GD appear reciprocally associated within an exploratory directional framework. Findings are preliminary given the modest, male-only, single-site sample and cross-sectional design, and require longitudinal confirmation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1707261"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13582217/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148988619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Home-based cognitive telerehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: differential cognitive trajectories according to baseline impairment severity.","authors":"Gianna Carla Riccitelli, Rosaria Sacco, Francesca Beeching, Giulia Mallucci, Giulio Disanto, Claudio Gobbi, Chiara Zecca","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1894935","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1894935","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although cognitive impairment (CI) is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), conventional cognitive rehabilitation is often limited by accessibility and adherence challenges. Telerehabilitation offers an accessible alternative, but its efficacy across different CI severity levels remains unclear. The present prospective, single-center, single-arm interventional study with repeated measures aimed to identify changes in cognitive and psychosocial outcomes following a home-based cognitive telerehabilitation program with weekly synchronous coaching in MS patients with mild versus moderate CI, and to explore whether baseline impairment severity was associated with differences in change over time.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty-six MS patients (34 mild CI; 32 moderate CI) completed a 12-week home-based cognitive telerehabilitation program (five sessions/week), supported by weekly Skype coaching. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 3-month follow-up (T2). Cognitive and emotional-behavioral functioning were investigated using standardized, validated instruments in the MS population. Changes over time and between-group differences were analyzed using linear models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At T1, both groups improved in attention, verbal memory, and subjective cognitive perception (all <i>p</i> < 0.05). Processing speed improved only in mild CI (<i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas executive function improved only in moderate CI (<i>p</i> = 0.007). At T2, mild CI further improved in attention and verbal memory (<i>p</i> = 0.003-0.035), while moderate CI improved only in processing speed (<i>p</i> = 0.006). Emotional-behavioral outcomes improved in both groups at T1 (anxiety <i>p</i> = 0.002; depression <i>p</i> = 0.023; fatigue <i>p</i> < 0.001) and were largely maintained at T2, with no statistically significant between group differences. Mental quality of life improved over time, whereas physical quality of life remained unchanged.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Following the intervention, both groups showed improvements in cognitive and emotional-behavioral outcomes, with larger and more sustained changes in mild CI. These findings should be confirmed in randomized controlled studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1894935"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13572147/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148967384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibited oligodendrogenesis impairs attention and motivation in adult mice regardless of repeated mild traumatic brain injury.","authors":"Lisa M Gazdzinski, Jordan Mak, Miranda Mellerup, Paul John Fletcher, Anne L Wheeler","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1862945","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1862945","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The brain's white matter is responsible for communication across the brain and because attention relies on coordinated communication among distributed brain networks, white matter dysfunction may contribute to attentional impairment. Attention problems are among the most common long-lasting cognitive symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and as attention is fundamental to many aspects of cognition, the effects of attentional impairment can be broad. mTBI-induced effects on oligodendrocytes and myelin contribute to cognitive deficits following injury and myelin plasticity is a potential mechanism for functional recovery. The aims of this work were to investigate the effects of mTBI and inhibition of oligodendrogenesis on attention in mice, and evaluate the contribution of newly generated oligodendrocytes to behavioral recovery following injury.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used the Myrf conditional knockout mouse model, in which the Myrf gene, required for oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation into mature myelinating oligodendrocytes, is deleted from OPCs following tamoxifen injection, thereby halting oligodendrogenesis. Mice were trained on the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time (5-CSRT) task before receiving tamoxifen followed by three mTBI or sham procedures. Attention was probed on the 5-CSRT task with decreasing stimulus duration at four timepoints following injury out to 12 weeks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>While no mTBI-induced attentional impairment was observed, OPC-MyrfKO mice showed lower accuracy (β = -4.26%, p _<i>Bonf</i> = 0.003) across injury groups, timepoints and stimulus durations, and fewer premature trials at the later timepoints (genotype-by-timepoint interaction p _<i>Bonf</i> = 0.03; β = -4.8%, <i>p</i> = 0.017 at 8 weeks and β = -5.19%, <i>p</i> = 0.027 at 12 weeks), suggesting that active oligodendrogenesis is required for sustained attention and task engagement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results suggest that myelin plasticity in adulthood may contribute to attention and complex task performance. The mouse model of mTBI used did not impact attention as measured by the 5-CSRT task, thus further research is required to elucidate the role of oligodendrogenesis in post-mTBI cognitive recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1862945"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13572726/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148967334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic modulation of oxycodone self-administration trajectories: from initiation to escalating burst patterns.","authors":"Caleb I Hodges, Eamonn P Duffy, Jonathan O Ward, Luanne H Hale, Cove C Andrews, Laura M Saba, Marissa A Ehringer, Ryan K Bachtell","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1913370","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1913370","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) remains a prominent threat to global health. Genetic background influences the susceptibility of developing OUD, although specific genetic factors remain elusive. Rodent models that differ in susceptibility to escalation and dysregulation of opioid use are valuable tools to facilitate discovery of genetic pathways.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Phenotypes associated with the development of OUD were compared in seven classic inbred rat strains (M520/N, WKY/NCrl, F344/NCrl, F344/Stm, LEW/Crl, LEW/SSNHsd, LE/Stm) from the Hybrid Rat Diversity Panel (HRDP). A two-phase self-administration paradigm was utilized to assess characteristics of the acquisition of oxycodone self-administration during daily 2-h sessions, and the escalation of oxycodone use during daily 12-h sessions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Genetic background influenced the acquisition of oxycodone self-administration as indicated by differences in the initiation of responding for oxycodone during each session and different amounts of oxycodone intake. We observed that escalation of oxycodone intake between-sessions was strain dependent, and the within-session distribution of oxycodone intake was strongly influenced by strain. The M520/N strain engaged in a unique pattern of intake, characterized by rapid initiation of oxycodone responding during the acquisition phase and a significant burst-like responding during escalation. Strain-dependent sex differences were also observed in several acquisition and escalation metrics. Of interest, rapid burst responding was more prevalent in females of the M520/N strain compared to males.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Together, these data indicate that genetic background influences not only overall oxycodone intake, but specific within- and between-session metrics that capture patterns of consumption across the substance use trajectory.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1913370"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13561799/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148955386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Before hormones: early sex-specific mechanisms shaping nervous system development, function, and postnatal disease susceptibility.","authors":"Maria A Tsiarli, Erica N Larschan","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1888207","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1888207","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brain development requires precise spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression and molecular processes to establish healthy and functional neural circuits. Traditionally, sex differences in brain development have been attributed primarily to gonadal differentiation and the subsequent actions of sex hormones on developmental systems during fetal life. However, these observations alone cannot fully explain the spectrum of sex biases seen in diverse neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurological disorders. In this mini review, we discuss the current evidence supporting the early embryonic origins of sex differences in brain development, with an emphasis on sex chromosome-driven transcriptional regulation, X chromosome inactivation dynamics, and sex-biased gene expression, which precede hormone-dependent developmental signaling. We present recent advances using omics technologies and computational approaches that have revealed widespread sex-biased differences in gene expression, chromatin regulation, dosage compensation, alternative splicing, and transcriptional activity during preimplantation and early embryonic development. These results are derived from available human datasets, but also include data from experimental models, including <i>Drosophila melanogaster,</i> and elaborate on the translational application of these findings in humans during normal neurodevelopment and in disease states. Collectively, these findings support a model in which sex-specific features of brain development emerge from the earliest stages of embryogenesis and continue to shape brain structure and function throughout life. Furthermore, they emphasize the necessity of including sex as a variable in research and medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1888207"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13563451/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148955314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impaired behavioral flexibility and coping strategy shifts in 5xFAD mice in the novel Destruction-Building Test.","authors":"Eugenia Ahremenko, Alexander Andreev, Kirill Chaprov, Eduard Korkotian","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1877086","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1877086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The assessment of early ethological markers of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a pivotal task in preclinical research. This study evaluates the diagnostic potential of the \"Destruction-Building Test\" (DBT), a novel assay based on the innate manipulative behaviors of rodents-specifically material shredding and complex nest-building-as an early indicator of neurodegenerative changes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Investigations were conducted on hemizygous 5xFAD transgenic mice and wild-type (WT) controls of both sexes at 15, 28, and 42 weeks of age. The protocol included a 24-h habituation phase with continuous actigraphy to assess spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA), followed by a 72-h phase of manipulative activity. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were employed for statistical modeling.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed a systemic reduction in manipulative activity in 5xFAD mice, which was most pronounced in females starting from 15 weeks of age. GEE modeling confirmed that genotype and sex were the primary determinants of shredding deficits (<i>p</i> < 10^-9). Furthermore, we identified a robust negative correlation between SLA during the initial adaptation phase and subsequent manipulative productivity in the DBT (<i>p</i> < 0.001); specifically, higher exploratory locomotion predicted less efficient shredding and nest-building. Transgenic animals demonstrated a pathological shift toward a proactive coping style characterized by unproductive hyperlocomotion and diminished manipulation, signaling impaired behavioral flexibility and cognitive rigidity.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings suggest that the DBT is highly sensitive to early neurodegenerative manifestations before the onset of gross motor deficits.Its methodological simplicity and robust diagnostic value position the DBT as an effective tool for the longitudinal screening of cognitive status in AD mouse models.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1877086"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13553921/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148918924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex-related biological variation and mental toughness in soccer: a 2D:4D digit-ratio study of Type a, Type B and Type C classification across playing positions.","authors":"Hamza Kaya Besler, Gulferi M Yildirim, Sinan Canan, Sinan Seyhan, Görkem Açar, Muhammed Fatih Bilici, Uğur Sönmezoğlu","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1934922","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1934922","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sex-related variation in psychological traits is usually studied as a categorical male-female contrast, which conflates a grouping variable with the continuous biology underlying it. The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) provides a non-invasive marker of the prenatal androgen environment, but its relationship with mental toughness and playing position in soccer remains poorly understood. This study examined the associations between 2D:4D-derived classification, playing position, sex and mental toughness, testing whether mental toughness tracks a continuous sex-related biological index rather than sex category alone.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a cross-sectional design, 270 licensed amateur soccer players (241 men, 29 women; aged 13-35 years) from Denizli, Türkiye, were assessed. Mental toughness was measured with the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). Digit lengths were measured directly on both hands with a calibrated digital caliper, and the two-hand mean ratio assigned each player to one of three operational categories at a cut-off of unity (Type A < 1.00, Type C = 1.00, Type B > 1.00). Data were analysed with one-way and two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni <i>post-hoc</i> comparisons.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Type B players reported higher mental toughness (<i>M</i> = 47.36) than Type A (43.85) and Type C (44.24) players, <i>F</i> _{(2, 267)} = 6.70, <i>p</i> = 0.002, η² = 0.048. Defenders (45.34) scored higher than goalkeepers (41.13; <i>p</i> = 0.021), <i>F</i> _{(3, 266)} = 3.00, <i>p</i> = 0.031, η² = 0.033. In the two-way model classification remained significant, <i>F</i> _{(2, 258)} = 6.10, <i>p</i> = 0.003, whereas position, <i>F</i> _{(3, 258)} = 2.22, <i>p</i> = 0.086, and the interaction, <i>F</i> _{(6, 258)} = 0.81, <i>p</i> = 0.560, did not. Male players scored higher than female players, t(268) = 1.99, <i>p</i> = 0.047.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Mental toughness varied with 2D:4D-derived classification and playing position, and the classification effect ran counter to a simple masculinization account, since the less androgenized Type B profile scored highest. A sex difference was also present, but classification and sex operated in opposing directions and neither was reducible to the other. Types A, B and C are operational classifications, not literal brain categories, and should be interpreted with caution.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1934922"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13550127/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148911454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal shifts in avoidance-based phenotypes in a predator odor conditioned place aversion model of posttraumatic stress disorder.","authors":"Meghan B Reiss, Daniel K Humphrey, Laken N Pierceall, Michelle A Dean, Lisa M Tran, Rose Snijders, Lucas C Carstensen, Dipta Chandra Pal, Dae-Wook Kang, Maria E Secci, Nicholas W Gilpin, Nicole M Collette, Doris Lam","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1907963","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1907963","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in a subset of trauma-exposed individuals and is characterized by persistent intrusion, avoidance, negative mood and cognition, and arousal symptoms, with heterogeneous symptom trajectories. There is a need for longitudinal rodent models of PTSD that incorporate individual differences in post-stress outcomes to probe mechanisms of susceptibility and resilience.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We used a predator odor (bobcat urine) conditioned place aversion (CPA) paradigm in male Wistar rats to examine the emergence and persistence of anxiety-like avoidance behavior over 6 weeks. Automated tracking during CPA testing quantified time in the predator odor (PO)-paired chamber and chamber-specific locomotor metrics; animals were further assessed with an acoustic startle response (ASR) test (Day 2), open field (OF, Day 5), and elevated plus maze (EPM, Day 16). At 6 weeks post-stress, rats were re-exposed to the CPA apparatus, modeling contextual reminder-induced trauma recall. Longitudinal body weight and endocrine endpoints (adrenal gland weight and circulating corticosterone) were collected.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At 24 h post-stress, Avoider rats, approximately 40% of exposed animals, showed avoidance of the PO-paired chamber, whereas Non-Avoider rats made more entries into and moved more slowly within the PO-paired chamber. By 6 weeks, initial classifications no longer predicted avoidance behavior; CPA-based diagnosis revealed substantial phenotypic shifts, with 24% of rats remaining Avoiders, 28% remaining Non-Avoiders, and the remainder switching phenotypes (16% Avoiders to Non-Avoiders; 32% Non-Avoiders to Avoiders). Re-analysis of the ASR test showed similar startle responses across phenotypes at lower and intermediate intensities; however, rats that shifted from Non-Avoiders to Avoiders displayed greater startle responses than rats that remained Non-Avoiders at the highest sound level. In contrast, OF and EPM measures showed no phenotypic differences. Sustained Avoider rats exhibited modestly greater weight gain, whereas corticosterone and adrenal gland mass did not differ among groups.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings indicate that PO models identify early Avoider and Non-Avoider phenotypes with distinct behavioral profiles but also reveal dynamic shifts in avoidance-based classifications over time. This work highlights the need for longitudinal studies to better characterize evolving behavioral phenotypes, endocrine, and physiological changes in rodent PTSD models and understand neural mechanisms underlying interindividual variability in PTSD symptom trajectories.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1907963"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13550178/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148911468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}