Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience最新文献

{"title":"Associative emotional memory encoding: insights from network stability analysis of an fMRI-driven bilinear dynamics.","authors":"Weronika Dziarnowska, Melis Orhun, Yannan Zhu, Nils Kohn, Guillén Fernández, Matin Jafarian","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1794170","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1794170","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The interplay between emotion and memory is a central topic in cognitive neuroscience, with open questions about the underlying neuronal mechanisms. This article aims to study the effects of order and intensity of emotional information on associative memory encoding. To this aim, we employ dynamic causal modeling to model the dynamic network composed of the hippocampus, amygdala, and orbitofrontal cortex during an fMRI associative memory encoding task and apply graph and control theory tools to obtain novel insights.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were clustered into three condition groups, neutral-neutral, neutral-emotional, or emotional-emotional, and viewed image pairs associated with their assigned condition. Using the dynamic causal modeling framework, we explore several dynamic models and show that a stochastic bilinear state-space model best describes the neuronal dynamics in all conditions. Furthermore, we use graph and control theory techniques to both validate and analyze the model. Particularly, we analyze the network dynamics of each condition using tools from graph theory and stability theory and discuss the differences in the strength and direction of connectivity as well as stability of each of these networks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We confirm the prior finding that memory is enhanced in the neutral-emotional condition. In our work, this enhanced memory is associated with the increased hippocampus-amygdala coupling strength in this condition. Moreover, we show that in the emotional-emotional condition, coupling of hippocampus and amygdala, as well as the whole network connectivity increases. We further predict that the hippocampus-amygdala connectivity in this condition increases, when the first image's valence is substantially less negative rated than the second image, but decreases otherwise. This pattern mirrors the neutral-emotional condition, where the first image is emotionally neutral compared with the second. Moreover, our model-based analyses suggest that the amygdala predominantly influences the other two regions in the neutral-emotional condition.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Combined data-driven DCM modeling, stability analyses, and graph-theory tools led to new insights and enhanced the mechanistic understanding of dynamics of emotional associative memory. We discuss these insights, utilize these analytical tools to generalize our findings to some unmeasured conditions, and highlight the potential of these techniques to inform the development of future technological or pharmacological approaches targeting regulatory mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1794170"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13284981/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148307976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The neurobiological basis of the awe experience in affective disorders: an exploratory EEG study.","authors":"Elena Bondi, Flavia Carbone, Giandomenico Schiena, Yara Massalha, MariaPia Marra, Lorena Di Consoli, Maddalena Mazzocut-Mis, Andrea Gaggioli, Alice Chirico, Paolo Brambilla, Eleonora Maggioni","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1805778","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1805778","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Affective disorders (ADs) are characterized by profound emotional processing deficits involving disrupted neural network activity and connectivity, particularly within the default mode network and fronto-temporal circuits, with abnormalities in theta and alpha oscillatory patterns. While current treatments primarily target mood symptoms, emotional processing impairments often persist and predict relapses. Awe, a complex self-transcendent emotion, may counteract such deficits through its capacity to reduce rumination and enhance positive affect. However, the neural correlates of awe experiences in clinical populations remain unexplored.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>For the first time, this exploratory study investigated the electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of awe induced by validated virtual reality (VR) scenarios in individuals with ADs compared to healthy controls (HCs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were exposed to immersive VR scenarios designed to elicit different awe experiences (mountains, waterfall, Earth) and a reference (awe-neutral) scenario. EEG activity was recorded during VR exposure and at baseline, followed by emotional state questionnaires. Power spectral density and graph-theoretical connectivity indices - Nodal Positive Strength and Global Efficiency - were computed across theta, alpha, and beta bands.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Healthy controls showed high awe responses in awe-inducing scenarios with selective, scenario-specific modulations in alpha and theta band activity and connectivity, reflecting preserved cognitive flexibility. Conversely, ADs reported similar awe responses across all VR scenarios with reduced environmental differentiation. With respect to HCs, ADs showed elevated theta power in bilateral frontal and temporal regions, suggesting compensatory activity related to emotional processing alterations. Both groups exhibited VR-induced reductions in alpha-band global efficiency, more pronounced in ADs, suggesting compromised neural integration during complex emotional processing.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Taken together, the results suggest that the emotional processing deficits inherent to ADs may limit the capacity to engage differentially with emotionally complex stimuli such as awe, while nonetheless providing initial evidence that VR-based awe exposure combined with neurophysiological recording represents a valuable approach for discriminating differential cerebral emotional responses in clinical populations. This proof-of-concept work warrants further investigation in larger cohorts to evaluate the therapeutic potential of awe-based interventions for affective disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1805778"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13275346/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148294671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the spiking neural autoencoder: from hyperexcitability to noise-driven compensation.","authors":"Mohammadreza Khodashenas, Daniel P Martins","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1788937","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1788937","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Understanding how artificial neural networks (ANNs) can capture biologically meaningful dynamics is a central challenge in systems neuroscience. In this work, we investigate whether spiking neural networks (SNNs) can function not only as machine-learning tools but also as biologically inspired computational analogs and tractable <i>testbeds</i> for studying pathological neural dynamics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We implemented a spiking autoencoder composed of Leaky Integrate-and-Fire and Synaptic neuron models to create a controlled framework for analyzing how biologically related parametric changes to neuronal and synaptic dynamics influence learning and information transfer. By tuning model parameters to induce persistent overfiring-like behavior, we emulated a hyperexcitability-like regime conceptually analogous to NaV channel dysfunction in hippocampal circuits. Reconstruction performance and network activity were evaluated under both noiseless and noisy conditions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The induced hyperexcitability-like regime degraded image reconstruction performance and disrupted stable information propagation, consistent with impaired processing in hyperexcitable neural systems. Layer-wise firing-rate analysis revealed that the altered regime was characterized by unstable activity redistribution rather than sustained global overactivation. Importantly, introducing controlled Gaussian noise into the input stream partially restored reconstruction quality and improved learning performance, suggesting that stochastic perturbations can partially compensate for instability in dysfunctional network regimes.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that specific SNN parameter regimes can reproduce key signatures of pathological excitability while also providing a platform for investigating compensatory mechanisms. Overall, this work positions spiking autoencoders as scalable, biologically grounded frameworks for hypothesis-driven studies of neural dysfunction and candidate interventions, supporting the integration of ANN methodologies with mechanistic models in systems neuroscience.</p>","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1788937"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13275432/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148294619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Continuous bidirectional coupling of heart rate variability and emotions in dyad speaker-listener dynamics reveals unique interpersonal synchronization.","authors":"Mohanad Alkhodari, Ioannis Ziogas, Jaskeerat Singh, Paolo Grigolini, Glenn W Muschert, Fedor Kusmartsev, Herbert F Jelinek","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1802891","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1802891","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Human conversation involves moment-to-moment reciprocal adjustments between interlocutors, expressed through both emotional cues and autonomic physiology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;To quantify how physiological synchrony continuously builds and subsides between debate partners during speaker-listener turn-taking, and to test whether the direction of this coupling (speaker-leading vs listener-leading) is associated with (i) self- versus partner-perceived arousal/valence and (ii) autonomic and complexity-based heart rate variability (HRV) characteristics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Multimodal data from the K-EmoCon database were analyzed, comprising HRV-derived cardiac activity, speech timing, and multi-perspective emotion ratings from 32 individuals engaged in a structured dyadic debate. Interactions were segmented into speaking and listening phases, and a phase-based bidirectional coupling framework was applied to quantify both the strength and polarity of physiological synchrony. Associations between emotional states and HRV features were examined using correlation analysis across coupling segments, followed by principal component analysis (PCA), to reduce dimensionality and cluster emotions and features based on their shared variance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Positive coupling segments, corresponding to speaker-leading dynamics, were characterized by strong associations between partner-related emotional states and parasympathetic HRV indices, including RMSSD and SD1, with correlations reaching up to 0.63 (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001). In contrast, negative coupling segments, reflecting listener-leading dynamics, showed stronger associations with sample entropy, Rényi entropy, and low-frequency power, with correlations reaching 0.71 (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001). Diffusion entropy exhibited a polarity-dependent pattern consisting of positively correlated self-reported emotions during positive coupling, whereas during negative coupling it was negatively correlated with partner-related emotions, with correlations reaching 0.71 (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) for the complexity index μ &lt;sub&gt;&lt;i&gt;r&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; at scale 1. PCA showed that positive coupling was characterized by a clear separation of arousal, with self-related emotions aligning with diffusion entropy features and partner-related emotions clustering with HRV and Rényi entropy measures. In contrast, negative coupling exhibited a pattern in which partner-related emotions formed more compact clusters across power- and entropy-based features.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;These findings demonstrate that bidirectional physiological coupling provides a sensitive framework for disentangling leadership, responsiveness, and emotional exchange during conversation. By revealing distinct autonomic and complexity-based signatures of self- and partner-related affect, this work advances understanding of interpersonal emotional regulation. It has implications for therapeutic, educat","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1802891"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13261717/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148251309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circuit dynamics of binocular conflict in mouse primary visual cortex.","authors":"Daniel P Montgomery, Daniel A Bowen, Jin Wu, Mark F Bear, Eric D Gaier","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1786396","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1786396","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Binocular vision requires that the brain integrate input from both eyes to form a unified percept. Small interocular differences support depth perception (stereopsis), while larger disparities can cause diplopia or binocular rivalry. The neural mechanisms by which early visual circuits process concordant versus conflicting binocular signals remain incompletely understood. Here, we used visually evoked potentials (VEPs), unit recordings, and 2-photon calcium imaging in the binocular region of mouse primary visual cortex (bV1) to examine how distinct forms of binocular disparity engage local circuits. We found that interocular phase disparities reduced VEP magnitude through decreased neuronal firing early in the response (40-80 ms after stimulus onset). Orientation disparities also decreased VEP magnitude, but via increased firing later in the response (100-200 ms). This late activity was enhanced in both regular-spiking (putative excitatory) and fast-spiking (putative parvalbumin-positive inhibitory) units. In contrast, calcium imaging revealed that somatostatin-positive interneurons were suppressed during orientation conflict. These findings suggest that phase differences suppress bV1 responses via feedforward mechanisms, while orientation disparities prolong activity through a process associated with suppression of somatostatin-positive interneurons. Our results reveal cell-type specific circuit mechanisms engaged by different forms of binocular conflict and provide a foundation for mechanistic investigations of perceptual suppression and rivalry.</p>","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1786396"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13260517/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148251247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel 1-channel EEG marker may associate with perioperative cognitive change.","authors":"Dana Baron Shahaf, Gil Bolotin, Oved Cohen, Mahli Raad, Raphael Derman, Goded Shahaf","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1688834","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1688834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Postoperative cognitive decline, at least transiently, is considered a prevalent and significant complication in elderly patients undergoing surgery. If the mechanisms that underlie it impact brain function intraoperatively, an effective intraoperative marker of brain dysfunction would be useful. However, to date, there is no consensus marker for this aim. We have developed an EEG-based marker-the Brain Reactivity Index (BRI). To assess the efficacy of intraoperative BRI as a marker of acute brain dysfunction that may relate to perioperative cognitive change, we compared its values between patients who showed different ranges of perioperative change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study analyzed EEG and clinical data from 100 adult cardiac surgery patients to assess whether there might be an association between changes in the Brain Reactivity Index (BRI) and postoperative cognitive changes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The intraoperative BRI was associated with perioperative MoCA changes in older patients (≥65 years), particularly in those with an intermediate (between 21 and 25) preoperative MoCA score. This association was apparent within the first 30 min of anesthesia. In contrast, no such association in BRI values was observed in the younger patient group (<65 years). The proportion of patients with cognitive dysfunction was comparable between the older and younger groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that brain dysfunction, which is associated with perioperative cognitive decline, in older patients may often occur immediately after the induction of anesthesia, highlighting the potential for intraoperative monitoring and intervention. The comparable proportion of patients presenting with perioperative cognitive decline across age groups, along with the transient nature of this decrease in younger patients, suggests that the dysfunction would be temporary, whereas a separate factor may underlie persistent cognitive decline in older individuals.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>NCT04512989.</p>","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1688834"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13246706/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148217090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural brain lesions and action observation therapy outcomes in unilateral cerebral palsy: an exploratory study.","authors":"Francy Cruz-Sanabria, Elena Beani, Valentina Menici, Silvia Filogna, Paolo Bosco, Simona Fiori, Laura Biagi, Giuseppina Sgandurra","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1766684","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1766684","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP) results from early brain injury, leading to motor impairments primarily affecting one upper limb. Action Observation Therapy (AOT), which engages the mirror neuron system to enhance motor function, represents a promising rehabilitative approach. However, its efficacy in UCP has been inconsistent across studies, possibly due to methodological differences or individual variability in brain damage. This observational longitudinal study within an intervention group aimed to explore whether structural brain lesions are associated with changes in motor dexterity and bimanual performance following AOT in children with UCP.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixteen children with UCP underwent a structured AOT home training program. Motor function was assessed through the Box and Block Test (BBT) and the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) at four or five time points (T0, T1/T1_plus, T2, T3), totaling 64 evaluation sessions. Brain lesions were evaluated using the semi-quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (sqMRI) scale. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant increase in BBT scores for the dominant hand (BBT_dom) was observed at all post-treatment time points, while significant improvements in the non-dominant hand (BBT_non_dom) were observed at T2. AHA scores significantly increased at T1 and T2. Lesions involving the temporal lobe, thalamus, brainstem, and corpus callosum showed the strongest associations with reduced improvements in AHA and BBT_non_dom scores.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings suggest that structural brain lesions may influence the response to AOT in children with UCP. Further studies are required to confirm these results and to evaluate whether tailoring interventions according to neuroanatomical profiles could enhance rehabilitation outcomes in children with UCP.</p>","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1766684"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13236681/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148198698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The psychoneuroimmuneendocrine system, epigenetics, and the integration of morphogenetic fields: a systematic review of their role in unconscious ontogenesis.","authors":"Samuel Ruesga Mundo, Carlos Francisco Moreno, Rafael Bustos Saldaña","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1663524","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1663524","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Unconscious/implicit processes are increasingly conceptualized as biologically instantiated, multisystem regulatory functions rather than purely psychological constructs. This review examines whether an integrative framework linking psychoneuroimmuneendocrine (PINE) regulation, epigenetic mechanisms, and principles of morphogenetic organization can help organize evidence relevant to \"unconscious ontogenesis.\"&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;To systematically review empirical evidence on PINE-related regulation and epigenetic modifications associated with unconscious/implicit processing, and to evaluate developmental morphogenetic principles as an organizing conceptual template (distinct from direct evidence of adult unconscious processing).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus (1990-2024), plus gray literature sources, for experimental and observational studies, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and a limited set of theoretical/historical works used only for conceptual context. Unconscious/implicit processing was operationalized as outcomes measured with implicit or non-conscious paradigms (behavioral tasks) and/or biological proxies of automatic regulation (e.g., autonomic, endocrine, immune, epigenetic, or neuroimaging markers) when the study design or authors' framework explicitly linked these measures to implicit/unconscious processing. Risk of bias was assessed with RoB 2, ROBINS-I, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and GRADE as appropriate; theoretical works were excluded from quantitative synthesis and bias assessment. No language restrictions were applied at the search stage; non-English studies were screened via available abstracts and full texts were used when accessible.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;From 1,245 records identified, 58 studies met inclusion criteria; 30 contributed to the quantitative synthesis. Evidence most consistently supported associations between PINE-system dysregulation and stress-adaptive behavioral/physiological outcomes, as well as between environmental exposures and epigenetic modifications relevant to neurodevelopment and stress regulation. In contrast, morphogenetic fields and morphogen-gradient principles were supported as established developmental biology mechanisms but did not provide direct quantitative evidence for adult unconscious processes, and were therefore treated exclusively as a conceptual organizational layer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Available evidence supports PINE regulation and epigenetic mechanisms as empirically grounded contributors to multisystem integration relevant to unconscious/implicit regulation. Morphogenetic principles are best interpreted as a developmental organizing template rather than as empirically supported mechanisms of unconscious processing, generating testable hypotheses for future prospective and mechanistic studies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Systematic review registration: &lt;/strong&gt;https://ww","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1663524"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13230023/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148163091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brain mechanisms of auditory perception in autism spectrum disorder: a comparative perspective on tonal and non-tonal languages.","authors":"Anastasia Neklyudova, Yangyang Liu, Yiyun Xia, Olga Sysoeva","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1628536","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1628536","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1628536"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13201243/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148041984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Convergence-divergence circuits for multimodal integration of innate and learned opponent valences.","authors":"Wenjing Wang, Yaokai Yang, Qiong Liu, Yunming Gao, Qiantao Lv, Kaiqi Zhang, Jing Ning, Yi Sun","doi":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1822122","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnsys.2026.1822122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Valence detection in complex environment is critical for natural behaviors like foraging. Previous studies have explored valence processing in brain regions like lateral horn (LH) and mushroom body (MB) using simple synthetic stimuli in <i>Drosophila</i>. However, the neural basis for valence detection of natural objects in complex contexts remains unclear. Here, by brain-wide connectome analysis, we identified the evolutionarily conserved superior protocerebrum (SP) that integrates brain-wide multimodal inputs mainly via LH and MB, and sends widespread outputs particularly to the central complex (CX). This forms a convergence-divergence circuit resembling an autoencoder architecture, with SP as the bottleneck integrating multimodal information into low-dimensional valence signals. Specifically, SP input LH neurons integrate ethologically related innate valences for robust valence detection in natural environments, and the integration can be unimodal, such as that of diverse odors signaling food, or multimodal, such as that of wind and temperature signaling lousy weather. Opponent valences of attraction and aversion are further integrated into SP for complex valence detection. MB learned valences are also integrated into SP to update LH innate valences with recent experience for flexible valence detection. Attractive and aversive valences, either innate or learned, are integrated via excitatory and inhibitory synapses, respectively to form complex valence signals in a single SP neuron. Organized synaptic compartments support dendritic computation, with SP neurons exhibiting opposite synaptic organizations for opponent valences, indicating dendritic integration for complex valence detection. Our study highlights the importance of SP in multimodal opponent valence integration and suggests generalizable network and dendritic structures for complex valence processing.</p>","PeriodicalId":12649,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"1822122"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13190573/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148014820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}