Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience最新文献

{"title":"Psychological distress, digital behavioral risks, and physical activity as predictors of subjective wellbeing: a machine learning study in a large sample of community-dwelling adults.","authors":"Mouna Saidane, Noomen Guelmami, Wissem Dhahbi, Fida Ayachi, Halil İbrahim Ceylan, Lolwa Barakat, Noureddine M Ben Said, Mohammed Issa Alsaeed, Raul Ioan Muntean, Ismail Dergaa","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1876257","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1876257","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Regular physical activity is a key determinant of psychological wellbeing, yet its interaction with emerging digital behavioral risks remains insufficiently understood. Compulsive internet use and nomophobia have been linked to psychological distress, which negatively affects life satisfaction and happiness. However, few studies have examined these factors simultaneously. Machine learning offers a promising approach for improving predictive accuracy and clarifying the relative contributions of these variables to subjective wellbeing.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study examined the combined predictive roles of physical activity, psychological distress, compulsive internet use, and nomophobia in subjective wellbeing (life satisfaction and happiness) and identified the optimal machine learning models for each outcome.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,479 community-dwelling adults (51.05% males) recruited between September and December 2024. Participants completed validated Arabic versions of the IPAQ-SF, DASS-21, CIUS, NMP-Q, SWLS, and SHS. Six machine learning algorithms (linear regression, random forests, support vector machines, XGBoost, k-nearest neighbors, and LASSO) were trained using an 80/20 train-test split with 5-fold cross-validation. Performance was evaluated using <i>R</i> ², RMSE, and MAE.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Psychological distress was the strongest negative predictor of wellbeing, showing the largest associations with happiness (<i>r</i> = -0.40) and life satisfaction (<i>r</i> = -0.37). Compulsive internet use was moderately associated with distress (<i>r</i> = 0.48), whereas nomophobia showed negligible relationships with both outcomes. For subjective happiness, random forest achieved the best performance (<i>R</i> ² = 0.154, RMSE = 0.869), slightly outperforming linear regression and LASSO (<i>R</i> ² = 0.153). For life satisfaction, linear regression and LASSO performed best (<i>R</i> ² = 0.129, RMSE = 1.317), while support vector machines showed the lowest accuracy. Higher physical activity levels, particularly vigorous activity, were consistently associated with more favorable psychological profiles.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Prediction of subjective wellbeing is outcome-specific, with different machine learning models performing optimally for happiness and life satisfaction. Psychological distress emerged as the strongest negative predictor, whereas physical activity demonstrated a consistent protective association. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal pathways linking digital behavioral risks to wellbeing.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1876257"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13388298/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148561328","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":"The thalamic nucleus reuniens orchestrates prefrontal-hippocampal synchrony in memory, emotion, and disease.","authors":"Tuğçe Tuna, Stephen Maren","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1885971","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1885971","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Decades of literature point to a critical role for prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in emotion and memory. Recent studies in both rodents and humans have revealed that these interactions are coordinated by the midline thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE), a brain region that mediates bidirectional communication between the hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Here, we aimed to review studies that implicate the RE in memory, emotion, and executive function across a range of behavioral tasks. We also discuss the role the RE may play in the maladaptive cognitive and emotional processes associated with neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. We conclude that the RE plays a critical role in coordinating oscillations in the mPFC-HPC network to support the flexible and context-dependent expression of memory and emotion.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1885971"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13388827/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148561303","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":"Lateralized and bilateral sensory mechanisms independently regulate sociability and social preference in <i>Drosophila</i>.","authors":"Chi-Lien Yang, Ching-Hsin Chen, Ching-Che Charng, Kuan-Lin Feng, Hung-Yin Tsai, Ann-Shyn Chiang","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1745784","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1745784","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Social behavior involves sociability-the drive to interact-and social preference-the choice of partners. Using <i>FlySocialer</i>, an automated system for tracking group interactions, we analyzed male <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> and found highly individualized, non-random social behaviors. Compared to randomized controls, flies showed stable individual differences in sociability and distinct partner preferences. Sociability exhibited a sensory-specific lateralized asymmetry: visual inputs via the left eye modulated interaction number, while olfactory inputs via the left antenna influenced interaction duration. Conversely, neither sensory manipulation exerted a significant effect on social preference. These results reveal distinct mechanisms for sociability and selectivity, highlighting lateralized sensory drive versus bilateral integration as core principles of social behavior in <i>Drosophila</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1745784"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13381832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148601022","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":"Structural and molecular substrates underlying functional dysconnectivity and cognitive impairment in neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease.","authors":"Shujun Zhang, Guorong Zhang, Yahui Ouyang, Guoping Wang, Yueqin Chen, Jiehuan Wang","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1854155","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1854155","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline. However, the patterns of functional network reorganization, as well as the underlying structural white matter (WM) damage and molecular mechanisms contributing to cognitive impairment, remain poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nine patients with genetically-confirmed NIID (following the exclusion of one patient due to excessive head motion) and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent multimodal MRI. We integrated voxel-level functional connectivity strength (FCS) with DTI-derived metrics (FA, AD, RD, and MD) across 20 major WM tracts. Cognitive performance was assessed via Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We employed a \"structure-function-metabolism\" analytical pipeline to examine how WM disintegration relates to cortical dysconnectivity and how these changes align with normative receptor maps (via JuSpace) and cerebral blood flow.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>NIID patients demonstrated a distinct pattern of functional reorganization, marked by decreased FCS in the right opercular part of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFGoperc) and increased FCS in the left gyrus rectus; notably, the reduced FCS in the right IFGoperc was positively correlated with MoCA scores. Significant WM degeneration was observed in the bilateral anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) and the forceps minor, with FA values in the latter showing a significant positive correlation with MoCA scores. Crucially, the severity of WM damage (reduced FA; elevated AD, RD, and MD) in the left ATR was significantly correlated with functional disconnection in the IFGoperc, suggesting a structural-functional cascade may underlie cognitive deterioration. Molecular enrichment analysis further demonstrated that these functional deficits were spatially coupled with specific serotonergic (5-HT1b/2a) and glutamatergic (mGluR5) receptor profiles, as well as regional hyperperfusion.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings suggest a potential multi-level pathophysiological framework in NIID, where structural disintegration of thalamo-cortical and interhemispheric tracts may serve as a topographical substrate for downstream functional network reorganization. This structural-functional-molecular axis, characterized by the convergence of network dysfunction, regional hyperperfusion, and specific neurotransmitter profiles, provides preliminary insights into the neurobiological mechanisms potentially underlying cognitive decline in NIID.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1854155"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375799/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148577364","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":"Mapping memory at scale: systems-level insights with translational and transdiagnostic relevance to fear-related disorders.","authors":"Rodrigo O Sierra, Sandra Ortega-Ferreira, Johanna M Duran, Lizeth K Pedraza","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1844305","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1844305","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fear-related disorders-including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder-are among the most prevalent and treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions. Despite decades of molecular and cellular advances, systemic pharmacological interventions and approaches targeting isolated brain regions have had limited therapeutic capacity, particularly in refractory patients. This mini-review argues that the translational impasse stems from a reductionist framework that treats mental disorders in general, and fear-related disorders in particular, as a localized phenomenon rather than a distributed network property. We synthesize recent evidence from engram research, oscillatory dynamics, and systems consolidation demonstrating that fear memories are encoded, maintained, and retrieved through brain-wide networks. We outline how emerging technologies such as high-density electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and functional neuroimaging combined with graph-theoretical analysis can map memory networks at scale, enabling precision interventions such as closed-loop neuromodulation and connectivity-based treatment prediction. Adopting a transdiagnostic perspective aligned with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), we position persistent aversive memory as a dimensional mechanism that crosses diagnostic boundaries, a perspective we propose as necessary for the development of more effective clinical interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1844305"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13369459/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148455197","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":"The relationship between cognitive and reading skills in typically developing pre-primary school children.","authors":"Özden Erkan Oğul, Fatma Aydın, Gülsüm Uzer, Kıvanç Kök, Derya Aydın, Sibel Deniz, Mustafa Otrar, Şeyda Cankaya, Lütfü Hanoğlu, Burak Yuluğ","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1832008","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1832008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>The aim of this study was to investigate the prospective relationship between cognitive abilities assessed at the beginning of the academic year and reading skills acquired by the end of the academic year, including reading speed and reading comprehension, and to examine the predictive value of baseline cognitive abilities for later reading performance in typically developing pre-primary school children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty-four typically developing children (age = 75.41 ± 5.79 months; 57.4% male) enrolled in a local primary school participated in the study. Cognitive abilities, including attention, working memory, executive functions, and visual perception, were evaluated using standardized neuropsychological tests and parent-reported questionnaires. Reading performance (comprehension and speed) was assessed using a text and comprehension questions approved by the Ministry of National Education.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Spearman correlation analysis revealed statistically significant weak to moderate correlations between visuoperceptual skills (Words per minute (WPM): ρ = 0.335, <i>p</i> = 0.013; total text reading time (TRT): ρ = 0.315, <i>p</i> = 0.021), executive functions (TRT; ρ = 0.277, <i>p</i> = 0.042), and reading speed (WPM and TRT). In addition, reading comprehension was significantly correlated, with weak-to-moderate effect sizes, with working memory (ρ = 0.406, <i>p</i> = 0.002), executive functions (ρ = 0.272, <i>p</i> = 0.047), and visuoperceptual skills (ρ = 0.29, <i>p</i> = 0.033). Furthermore, suffix errors were moderately and significantly associated with visual discrimination skills (ρ = 0.473, <i>p</i><0.001). Regression analyses indicated that working memory accounted for 23% of the variance in comprehension scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results suggest that working memory may be a key factor underlying reading comprehension. In this context, incorporating working memory training into early educational programs for typically developing pre-primary school children may enhance reading comprehension and indirectly contribute to academic success.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1832008"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13371315/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148455186","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":"The relevance of cannabinoid receptor 2 in the central nervous system: an update over the last 3 years.","authors":"Camilla Moliterni, Daniela Caissutti, Enrico Mandolini, Elena Fasciolo, Tuba Rana Caglar, Antonella Capozzi, Roberta Misasi, Niccolò Candelise","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1882543","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1882543","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The endocannabinoid system is a neuromodulatory network regulating synaptic plasticity, neuronal activity, and neuroinflammatory responses in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The endocannabinoid system comprises endogenous ligands, termed endocannabinoids, and two principal receptors, cannabinoid receptor type 1 and type 2 (CB1R and CB2R). While CB1R is predominantly associated with the central nervous system and mediates the psychotropic effects of cannabis-derived compounds, CB2R was initially considered mainly peripheral. However, growing evidence over the last decades has highlighted a pivotal role for CB2R in central nervous system homeostasis and pathology. Importantly, the lack of psychotropic effects associated with CB2R signaling has positioned this receptor as a promising therapeutic target for several brain-related disorders, including neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric, and neurovascular conditions. Here, we provide a structured review of experimental studies published over the last 3 years investigating CB2R modulation in the central nervous system, with a particular focus on disease mechanisms and emerging therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1882543"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13369014/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148455162","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":"Recent advances in epigenetic therapeutics for Rett syndrome: from mechanisms to clinical trials.","authors":"Cuijie Zhao, Zhuo Huang, Ruixing Li, Lei Hua, Huawei Li, Bocai Wang","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1835425","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1835425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rett syndrome (RTT) stands at the forefront of the genetic therapy revolution. This severe X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder, primarily caused by mutations in the <i>MECP2</i> gene, was historically considered a static condition but is now recognized as a potentially reversible neurodevelopmental disorder. This review synthesizes recent breakthroughs in our understanding of MeCP2's role in chromatin architecture, including its involvement in liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). We critically examine the transition from conventional symptom management to precision epigenetic therapeutics. Key advances discussed include next-generation gene replacement strategies with autoregulatory control to prevent toxicity, programmable epigenetic editing (e.g., CRISPR-off/on) to correct <i>MECP2</i> expression endogenously, and novel approaches for X-chromosome reactivation (XCI). Furthermore, we propose a stratified therapeutic framework (genotype-guided therapies) based on specific mutation types. Finally, we analyze data from ongoing clinical trials and highlight the remaining hurdles-such as delivery efficiency, immunogenicity, and the urgent need for objective biomarkers-that must be overcome to translate these epigenetic innovations into a cure.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1835425"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13364895/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148445248","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":"Impairment of object recognition, object location and spatial working memory performance in inbred RHA vs. RLA rats.","authors":"Toni Cañete, Daniel Sampedro-Viana, Geison Souza Izídio, Berta Baró, Ignasi Oliveras, Cristóbal Río-Álamos, Margalida Coll-Andreu, Adolf Tobeña, Alberto Fernández-Teruel","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1837820","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1837820","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The inbred Roman rat strains, which have been selected and bred for their very high (RHA) or extremely poor (RLA) ability to acquire the two-way active avoidance task, constitute a bidirectional genetic model in which each strain differs from the other and/or from \"standard\" laboratory rat strains in a large number of behavioral and neurobiological phenotypes. Relative to Roman low-avoidance (RLA) rats, the Roman High-avoidance (RHA) rats exhibit increased mesolimbic dopamine function, social deficits, and impaired attention and cognitive flexibility, besides many other neurobehavioral phenotypes that make them a promising animal model of attention/cognitive-related syndromes, such as schizophrenia or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to investigate non-spatial working memory and long-term memory in the Roman rat strains using the Object Recognition Test (ORT), a non-spatial declarative memory task that assesses object memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. The Object Location Test (OLT), which measures recognition of object location rather than differences between objects, was also used to evaluate short- and long-term memory. Between-strain spatial working memory differences were also evaluated using a delayed-matching-to-place (DMTP) task in the Morris water maze. Findings showed that RHA rats exhibited impaired working memory and long-term memory compared to RLA rats in the ORT. The degree of previous habituation to the testing context significantly affected object recognition memory in RHA rats. RHA rats also exhibited impaired short-term memory in the OLT. In the DMTP task, spatial working memory was also impaired in RHAs. The memory deficits shown by RHA rats seem to be compatible with their known (schizophrenia-like) alterations of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The finding that relatively long habituation to the testing context rescues the long-term object-recognition memory deficit of RHA rats suggests that impaired attention, perhaps related to their relative hyperactivity, might be a factor underlying that deficit. The findings of the present study support the notion that the inbred RHA rat strain presents impairments in both non-spatial and spatial working/short-term memory, aligning with cognitive symptoms observed in patients with schizophrenia or with ADHD.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1837820"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13345880/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148420027","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":"Strain- and age-dependent divergence in mouse appetitive spatial learning and decision strategies.","authors":"Jiaoru Liu, Denise Manahan-Vaughan, Josué Haubrich","doi":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1858691","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1858691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animals rely on associative spatial memory to navigate toward previously learned, reward-associated goals. This reward-guided navigation is supported by the hippocampus and its interactions with cortical and subcortical regions: processes which are vital for integrating sensory cues and forming experience-dependent associations. In adulthood, hippocampal-dependent information processing is shaped by aging, reflecting changes in synaptic plasticity and neuromodulatory support. In parallel, mice with distinct genetic backgrounds show systematic differences in behavior, sensory function, and hippocampal plasticity. How mouse strain and age interact to affect spatial appetitive memories has not been well defined. Here, we trained juvenile (2-3 months) and mature (7-8 months) adult CBA/CaOlaHsd and C57BL/6 mice in daily training events, to perform a T-maze task with rewards available at a fixed location and decreasing probability in one maze arm. The task consisted of an initial deterministic phase in which a correct response was always rewarded, followed by a probabilistic phase during which reward omissions became increasingly prevalent. We measured correct choices, as well as latencies across training blocks, and combined trial-by-trial metrics with reinforcement learning modeling to assess decision strategies. We observed that CBA/CaOlaHsd mice displayed lower choice latencies than C57BL/6 mice, reached high performance earlier, and maintained better performance when the reward probability decreased. Age was associated with higher latencies and modulated both performance and decision policies in a strain-dependent manner. Moreover, CBA/CaOlaHsd mice displayed higher learning rates from positive outcomes and adopted strategies consistent with more robust context exploitation under uncertainty. C57BL/6 mice, by contrast, exhibited stronger omission-driven strategy switching compared to CBA/CaOlaHsd mice. Together, these findings reveal robust strain- and age-dependent differences in trial-by-trial decision policies and spatial learning performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12368,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1858691"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13337451/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148404270","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}