Wei Yang, Huijing Chen, Wei Liu, Sheng Qu, Yao Ge, Jin Song
{"title":"Efficacy of vigorous physical activity as an intervention for mitigating depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Wei Yang, Huijing Chen, Wei Liu, Sheng Qu, Yao Ge, Jin Song","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1479326","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1479326","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of vigorous physical activity as an intervention for alleviating depressive symptoms among adolescents and young adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive search on systematically reliable databases was carried out, and studies running till August 2023 were considered in this study. The articles included in this meta-analysis assessed the impact of exercise interventions on depressive symptomatology in adolescents and young adults. Two independent investigators screened the studies, extracted data, and evaluated quality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Physical activity produced an important reduction in depressive symptoms [SMD] = -4.23, 95% CI: -7.02, -1.44, <i>p</i> = 0.0001; a moderate effect size in both the adolescent population with clinical depression and adolescents who presented with subclinical depressive symptoms. Notably, vigorous physical exercise worked most favorably for adolescent depressive symptomatology, while moderate-intensity exercise was the best choice for adolescents with diagnosed clinical depression.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This meta-analysis suggests that vigorous physical activity could reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults. However, further studies are needed to provide clearer recommendations regarding the type, duration, and intensity of exercise necessary to treat clinical depression in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1479326"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11876554/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143556337","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}
Annika C Konrad, Andrei C Miu, Sebastian Trautmann, Philipp Kanske
{"title":"Neural correlates and plasticity of explicit emotion regulation following the experience of trauma.","authors":"Annika C Konrad, Andrei C Miu, Sebastian Trautmann, Philipp Kanske","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1523035","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1523035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Experiencing trauma or other adverse life events is highly prevalent and poses a significant risk for the development of mental disorders. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and neural processes involved in trauma processing is crucial for both prevention and targeting symptoms. Especially, difficulties in emotion regulation emerge as one key mechanism implicated in the development of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following traumatic experiences. However, neural correlates of explicit emotion regulation among individuals who have undergone trauma have not received much attention. Understanding the neural basis of dysregulated emotion following trauma could reveal important details about how trauma interferes with emotional regulation systems, informing the development of more specific intervention approaches. Therefore, this mini review summarizes current research, and identifies relevant gaps in the literature and challenges for future studies. Specifically, it provides an overview of the neural dysregulation associated with explicit emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal or suppression. Finally, it highlights promising findings from intervention studies targeting emotion regulation, such as trauma-focused exposure therapy and neurofeedback, indicating neural plasticity in individuals with traumatic experiences. Hereby, this review aims to bridge the gap between fundamental and intervention research and highlights future directions for translational research.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1523035"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11865028/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143522918","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}
Rui C Pais, Ali Goldani, Jayden Hutchison, Amirhossein Mazrouei, Mostafa Khavaninzadeh, Leonardo A Molina, Robert J Sutherland, Majid H Mohajerani
{"title":"Assessing cognitive flexibility in mice using a custom-built touchscreen chamber.","authors":"Rui C Pais, Ali Goldani, Jayden Hutchison, Amirhossein Mazrouei, Mostafa Khavaninzadeh, Leonardo A Molina, Robert J Sutherland, Majid H Mohajerani","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1536458","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1536458","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Automated touchscreen systems have become increasingly prevalent in rodent model screening. This technology has significantly enhanced cognitive and behavioral assessments in mice and has bridged the translational gap between basic research using rodent models and human clinical research. Our study introduces a custom-built touchscreen operant conditioning chamber powered by a Raspberry Pi and a commercially available computer tablet, which effectively addresses the significant cost barriers traditionally associated with this technology. In order to test our prototype, we decided to train C57BL/6 mice on a visual discrimination serial-reversal task, and both C57BL/6 and App<sup>NL-G-F</sup>strain - an Alzheimer's Disease (AD) mouse model - on a new location discrimination serial-reversal task. The results demonstrated a clear progression toward asymptotic performance, particularly in the location discrimination task, which also revealed potential genotype-specific deficits, with App<sup>NL-G-F</sup> mice displaying an increase in the average number of errors in the first reversal as well as in perseverative errors, compared to wild-type mice. These results validate the practical utility of our touchscreen apparatus and underline its potential to provide insights into the behavioral and cognitive markers of neurobiological disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1536458"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11865062/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143522912","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":"NRBF2 plays a crucial role in the acquisition process of learning and memory, independent of the Vps34 complex.","authors":"Songfen Wu, Haicai Zhuang, Xidan Zhou, Kuan Li","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1529522","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1529522","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>NRBF2, a component of autophagy-associated PIK3C3/VPS34-containing phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex, plays a crucial role in learning and memory processes, yet its specific impact on memory and the underlying molecular mechanisms remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we utilized NRBF2 knockout mice to examine its influence on the time course of fear memory. Employing quantitative PCR, Western blot analysis, behavioral tests, and electrophysiology, we investigated the mechanisms through which NRBF2 affects memory processing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed an increase in <i>Nrbf2</i> mRNA levels at 6 and 12 h, and protein levels at 6 h post fear conditioning. Depletion of NRBF2 impaired memory acquisition, short-term, and long-term memory without causing any anxiety-like behavior. Interestingly, inhibition of Vps34 and autophagy by SAR405 disrupted fear memory consolidation, while leaving memory acquisition, short-term memory, and long-term potentiation (LTP) unaffected. Our results suggested that NRBF2 deletion impaired memory acquisition through an autophagy-independent pathway and provided novel insights into the role of NRBF2 in the central nervous system.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study offer new insights into the role of NRBF2 and highlight the potential of targeting NRBF2 as a therapeutic strategy for addressing cognitive deficits associated with various disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1529522"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11861080/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143515101","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}
Sara E Moss, Ekaterina S McCurdy, Natalya N Thomas, Danielle Gulick, Angela M Poff, Dominic P D'Agostino
{"title":"Olfaction-based learned preference assessment without the use of motivational fear or motivational weight loss.","authors":"Sara E Moss, Ekaterina S McCurdy, Natalya N Thomas, Danielle Gulick, Angela M Poff, Dominic P D'Agostino","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1521751","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1521751","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Reliable assessments of learning ability in preclinical models are essential for studying neurodegenerative, developmental, and inflammatory disorders. However, many inbred strains of mice present background pathologies that interfere with traditional learning tests. The C57BL/6 J mouse, a widely used laboratory strain, sporadically develops auditory and visual impairments that complicate interpretation. In this study, we establish an olfaction-based learned preference protocol designed to evaluate learning ability independent of fear responses, motivational weight loss, or visual cues in C57BL/6 J mice.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>Leveraging the species' natural preference for sweet flavors, we tested different sweeteners and confirmed their passive preference for sucrose was more robust than for saccharin or sucralose. We then trained mice to associate either lemon or rose scents with a sucrose paste reward, and tested whether they demonstrated a learned preference for the sucrose-associated scent over the neutral scent. Mice developed an appetitive olfactory preference for sucrose as a reward, in the absence of motivational weight loss, as measured by time spent exploring a three-chamber association box with access to both scents. We assessed whether this protocol discriminated learning deficit induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We conclude that this protocol is a viable tool for assessing learning abilities in preclinical models with auditory or visual deficits, motor impairments, or an inability to tolerate motivational weight loss.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1521751"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11861198/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143515105","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":"Impact of virtual agent facial emotions and attention on N170 ERP amplitude: comparative study.","authors":"Luisa Kirasirova, Olga Maslova, Vasiliy Pyatin","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1523705","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1523705","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>It is known from the literature that face perception of virtual agents affects the amplitude and latency of the ERP components. However, sensitivity of the N170 component to virtual agent facial emotions, and level of attention to facial emotional expressions were not investigated in the virtual reality environment by now, which was the aim of our study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>EEG recording, 2D and 3D visual testing of the neutral, happy and disgusted facial emotions of virtual agents were used. The protocol consisted of three sessions in the attentional condition of participants to each facial emotion (passive, active, and active to neutral facial emotional expression). The amplitudes of the N170 ERP were also reflected in the comparative analysis between 2D and VR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the context of virtual agent facial emotional expressions, we identified the following dynamics of the N170 amplitude: attention (passive/active) showed no signaling effect; active attention to neutral virtual agent facial emotions reduced the N170 amplitude; significant interactions were observed between the factors \"emotion × attention\" and \"environment × attention,\" but no interaction was found among all three factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The immersive quality of the environment in which visual and emotional events are presented has a less pronounced effect on early-stage facial processing at N170 amplitude. Thus, our findings indicate that the N170 amplitude is primarily modulated by the emotional content and attention directed to virtual agent facial emotional expressions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1523705"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11847822/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143491463","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":"Conscious and unconscious processes in vision and homeostasis.","authors":"Athanassios S Fokas, Nikos K Logothetis","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1516127","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1516127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The central and autonomic communications affecting cognition, emotions, and visceral functions, are determined by the interaction of unconscious and conscious processes. In this regard, we discuss two basic hypotheses. First, <i>unconscious and conscious processes form a dynamic organizational continuum</i>. Second, <i>emotions, which are unconscious forms of feeling, characterize the response of an organism to any internal change disturbing homeostasis or to any change in the exterior of the organism detected via specialized sensory probes</i>. The former hypothesis is illustrated by discussing aspects of visual perception. The validity of the second hypothesis is supported by discussing interactions between unconscious and conscious process necessary for maintaining energy and water balance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1516127"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11842375/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143482585","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}
Yin Qianlan, Chen Shou, Hou Tianya, Dong Wei, Taosheng Liu
{"title":"Sensation seeking and risk adjustment: the role of reward sensitivity in dynamic risky decisions.","authors":"Yin Qianlan, Chen Shou, Hou Tianya, Dong Wei, Taosheng Liu","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1492312","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1492312","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The primary objective of our research is to delve into the relationships between sensation seeking (SS), reward sensitivity (RS), and risk adjustment (RA) within the context of dynamic risk-taking behaviors. By integrating the reinforcement learning model and neural measures obtained from dynamic risk-taking tasks, we aim to explore how these personality traits influence individual decision-making processes and engagement in risk-related activities. We aim to dissect the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying this interplay, thereby shedding light on the stable brain-based characteristics contributing to the observed variability in risk-taking and decision-making behaviors. Understanding these links could significantly enhance our ability to predict individual differences in risk preferences and develop targeted interventions for managing risky behaviors across different contexts.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We developed a task to measure RA through a structured yet uncertain environment modeled after the Balloon Analog Risk Task. We enlisted 80 young adults to perform this task, and of these, 40 were subjected to electroencephalography (EEG) to assess neural correlates of RS. Subsequently, we analyzed event-related potentials and spectral perturbations to discern neural distinctions related to RS. We compared these distinctions concerning RA among participants exhibiting different levels of SS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Individuals exhibiting higher levels of SS (HSS) in the study displayed a tendency to disregard past risks, potentially resulting in diminished behavioral adaptability. EEG results indicated that individuals with HSS exhibited reduced neural responses to feedback compared to those with low SS, potentially affecting their feedback processing and decision-making. Moreover, the comparison of effects underscores the significant impact of RS and SS on shaping RA during dynamic decision-making scenarios.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study has advanced the understanding of how SS and RS influence RA, revealing that RS prompts RA, while individuals with HSS often exhibit blunted RS, leading to worse RA. Future research should focus on the specific aspects of HSS and their implications for decision-making across different risk contexts. Employing advanced neuroimaging and cognitive modeling techniques will be pivotal in unraveling the neural mechanisms driving these individual differences in risky behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1492312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11842430/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143482608","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":"A critical opinion on adult endogenous neurogenesis as a brain repair mechanism after traumatic brain injury.","authors":"Andrea Aguilar-Arredondo, Angélica Zepeda","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1543122","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1543122","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1543122"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11841385/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143467476","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}
Hannah C Downing, Ashley B Glover, Jessica E Gebhardt, Katherine L Thompson, Kathryn E Saatman
{"title":"Sex-based differences in the long-term fate of hippocampal neurons born after a traumatic brain injury.","authors":"Hannah C Downing, Ashley B Glover, Jessica E Gebhardt, Katherine L Thompson, Kathryn E Saatman","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1523969","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1523969","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in an early loss of immature hippocampal granule cells and the activation of typically quiescent neural stem cells (NSCs) in the dentate gyrus. Activation of NSCs leads to a robust increase in proliferation and generation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), supporting restoration of the immature neuron population of over a period of 1-2 weeks. However, it is unclear if neurons born early after injury develop normally, survive long-term and functionally integrate into the hippocampal network. Although adult hippocampal neurogenesis is regulated in a sex-dependent manner, the majority of pre-clinical TBI studies lack the inclusion of both sexes. The goal of this study was to examine sex differences in hippocampal neurogenesis in response to a moderate controlled cortical impact brain injury.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong><i>In-vivo</i> labeling of NPCs and tracking of their morphological development into a granule cell was achieved using an inducible Cre recombinase driven by the Ascl1 promoter in a CAG-floxStopTom reporter mouse. Ascl1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor transiently expressed in NPCs and activated NSCs in the dentate gyrus of the adult mammalian brain. To specifically label NPCs born acutely after TBI, tamoxifen was delivered to mice on days 2 and 3 postinjury. Mice survived to 6 weeks after TBI to allow for full neuronal maturation of tdTomato-labeled NPCs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At 6 weeks postinjury, numbers of tdTomato-positive granule cells were significantly reduced in the ipsilateral hippocampus of brain-injured mice compared to controls, with a more pronounced decrease in males. Further, posttrauma-born neurons in males, but not females, exhibited impaired dendritic development. Neurons born after injury extended axons which formed synaptic terminals within the CA3 region. Numbers of mossy fiber boutons were significantly decreased in injured males compared to naïve males or to injured females. Potential forms of plasticity were observed in brain-injured females, including increased neurogenesis in the contralateral hippocampus and increased mossy fiber bouton volume. Together these data suggest a neurogenic advantage in females after injury.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study is the first to report sex differences in posttraumatic hippocampal neurogenesis and to demonstrate modification of synaptic terminals formed by neurons born after TBI.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"19 ","pages":"1523969"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11836013/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143457304","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}