Journal of Neuroscience Methods最新文献

{"title":"A multi-scale deep CNN based on attention mechanism for EEG emotion recognition","authors":"Yi Zhou,&nbsp;Ruiwen Jiang,&nbsp;Jingxiang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110662","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110662","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Recognizing emotion is a crucial project within the domain of brain-computer interface technology. Recently, researchers have found that deep learning have been proven to be superior to machine learning, but how to obtain more discriminative features still faces great challenges.</div></div><div><h3>New method</h3><div>We propose a multi-scale convolutional neural network (MSCNN) based on channel attention and spatial attention (CSA-MSCNN) for EEG emotion recognition. The channel attention enhances the feature extraction ability of critical channels by generating channel weights, while suppressing noise or interference from redundant channels. The spatial attention helps the model to more precisely locate key areas related to emotion by generating a spatial weight matrix. To extract more comprehensive features, CSA-MSCNN uses MSCNN for feature extraction, with smaller convolutional kernels capturing the local details of the signals, and larger convolutional kernels with a broader receptive field to obtain deeper signal information.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>CSA-MSCNN achieves average accuracies of 95.75 % and 95.39 % for three-class classification of valence and arousal on DEAP, respectively, while achieving an average three-class classification accuracy of 90.48 % on SEED.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods</h3><div>The classification accuracy of CSA-MSCNN is not only significantly better than traditional machine learning models, but also shows strong competitiveness compared with mainstream deep learning models such as graph convolutional neural network (GCNN).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>CSA-MSCNN addresses the issues of multiple EEG signal channels and complex regional information.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"427 ","pages":"Article 110662"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145794043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"NERV: A comprehensive framework for rapid, reproducible, and hardware-synchronized neuroscience experiment design and execution","authors":"Kyle Coutray,&nbsp;Christos Constantinidis","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Behavioral neuroscience experiments require precise stimulus control, millisecond timing, hardware integration, and robust data provenance. The growing use of 3D environments and multimodal recordings increases challenges for development, accessibility, and reproducibility. Fragmented tools often separate presentation, synchronization, and logging, creating workflow inefficiencies.</div></div><div><h3>New Method</h3><div>The Neuroscience Experimental Runtime by Vanderbilt (NERV) is a Unity-based C# framework that unifies experiment design, execution, and data logging. Custom Unity Editor tools automate scene and script generation, state management, and hardware-synchronized event timing via TTL pulses. A modular ExtraFunctions system enables plug-and-play modules like photodiode markers, gaze tracking, and reward control, while an automated archival process captures all code, configurations, and logs for complete provenance. The open-source framework follows a “low floor, high ceiling” design that supports both no-code use and full extensibility.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Across 500 trials, Unity-to-TTL delay was 2.10 ± 1.21 ms, TTL-to-photodiode delay was 28.93 ± 0.76 ms, and Unity-to-screen delay was 31.04 ± 1.41 ms, confirming stable millisecond precision and frame-locked timing for reliable alignment of neural, behavioral, and visual events.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods</h3><div>Existing frameworks involve trade-offs between timing precision, accessibility, hardware support, and 3D capability. NERV integrates millisecond precision, modular open-source design, and full provenance in a single platform, accelerating development, reducing workflow fragmentation, and enabling reproducible, scalable experiments.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>NERV provides an accessible and extensible framework that unites rapid development, robust data provenance, and millisecond precision, establishing a scalable foundation for next-generation neuroscience research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"427 ","pages":"Article 110647"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145687426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"neuroVIISAS-based construction of a stereotactic rhesus monkey brain atlas for connectome research","authors":"Konrad Kohnen ,&nbsp;Peter Eipert ,&nbsp;Laura Budde ,&nbsp;Oliver Schmitt","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110656","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background:</h3><div>Digital brain atlases are indispensable for primate connectomics, providing precise stereotactic references that enable reproducible mapping of structural and functional data.</div></div><div><h3>New method:</h3><div>We provide a fully digitized, bilaterally complete 3D reconstruction of the Paxinos et al. rhesus macaque atlas, implemented within the existing <em>neuroVIISAS</em> platform. The contribution of this work is the creation of a reusable, stereotactically embedded resource, rather than the introduction of new computational methods. Using polygon-based segmentation, we systematically digitized 1722 anatomical contours from the Paxinos et al. (2009) stereotactic atlas of the rhesus monkey, including cortical, subcortical, and non-neuronal regions, and embedded them into a stereotactic coordinate system. Mirroring procedures ensured full bilateral representation, while volumetric and surface calculations yielded quantitative benchmarks spanning nuclei of less than 0.1 mm³ to cortical regions exceeding 2000 mm³.</div></div><div><h3>Results:</h3><div>The atlas supports advanced visualization in 2D and 3D, including interactive rotation, transparency, and connectivity overlays, facilitating structural exploration and connectome simulations. Integration with <em>neuroVIISAS</em> enables hierarchical ontologies, quantitative analyses, and direct interfacing with simulation environments.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods:</h3><div>Validation against stereological data and comparison with independent resources (SARM, ONPRC18) confirmed the reliability of delineations while highlighting methodological differences across atlases. Beyond structural applications, functional connectivity studies, such as gradient analyses in macaques (Xu et al., 2020), demonstrate how atlas-based frameworks bridge species by systematically linking macaque organization to human cortical architecture.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion:</h3><div>Together, these methodological advances establish a reproducible, bilaterally complete, and volumetrically validated stereotactic reference for the rhesus monkey brain, enhancing both experimental design and translational connectomics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"427 ","pages":"Article 110656"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"WormTracer: A precise method for worm posture analysis using temporal continuity","authors":"Koyo Kuze,&nbsp;Ukyo T. Tazawa,&nbsp;Karin Suwazono,&nbsp;Chung-Kuan Chen,&nbsp;Yu Toyoshima,&nbsp;Yuichi Iino","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Quantifying behavior is essential across diverse fields including ecology, ethology, neuroscience, and human science, where posture information provides particularly rich insights. <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> serves as a valuable model organism for elucidating behavior through underlying neural and molecular mechanisms. However, accurately quantifying <em>C. elegans</em> posture from video images remains challenging, as existing methods each have limitations.</div></div><div><h3>New method</h3><div>To address these issues, we developed WormTracer, a novel algorithm for accurately quantifying the temporal evolution of worm postures represented by its centerlines. Unlike conventional approaches that analyze frames independently, WormTracer estimates worm centerlines simultaneously across image sequences, enabling the resolution of complex postures difficult to assess from single images. It uses sequences of binarized images as input, making it applicable to diverse imaging conditions. No training data are required; the only manual operation is selecting an appropriate binarization threshold, after which the process is fully automated.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>WormTracer consistently produced uniformly accurate centerlines from worm movies acquired under different resolutions, frame rates and various lighting conditions: light background, dark background, or time-varying textures. Tests using multiple wild-type and mutant animals demonstrated the extent of its robustness.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods</h3><div>Centerlines generated by WormTracer showed higher accuracy than those obtained with existing methods such as WormPose, EigenWormTracker, and DeepTangleCrawl.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>WormTracer is accurate, easy to use and applicable to various imaging conditions, providing a promising tool for high-throughput behavioral analyses of <em>C. elegans</em> and enabling more detailed motion quantification than existing methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"427 ","pages":"Article 110644"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145661417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A functionally relevant model for interrogating brain tumor-endothelial cell interactions","authors":"Akaljot Grewal ,&nbsp;Emma Martell ,&nbsp;Helgi Kuzmychova ,&nbsp;Ujala Chawla ,&nbsp;Charul Jain ,&nbsp;Kayshana Ramnauth ,&nbsp;Tanveer Sharif","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110657","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110657","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Intercellular interactions, particularly those between tumor cells and the surrounding vasculature, are central to the biology of the tumor microenvironment. Approaches for studying these interactions often rely on limited patient samples or time- and resource-intensive xenograft tissues in combination with histological or single-cell omics profiling. While informative, these models capture only static snapshots and limit mechanistic interrogation. Studying the mechanisms behind these interactions requires viable co-culture models for culturing different cell types together <em>in vitro,</em> while preserving the phenotypic integrity of each cell type.</div></div><div><h3>New method</h3><div>To achieve this, we developed and validated optimal <em>in vitro</em> culture conditions to support the co-culture of human Group 3 medulloblastoma (G3 MB) cells and microvascular brain endothelial cells (BECs) as an ideal screening model for mechanistic and interventional studies. Supported by a new optimized 1:1 mixed media formulation, this model preserves native cellular morphology and phenotypic characteristics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>When cultured alone in the new optimized media, G3 MB cells retained expression of stemness markers (SOX2 &amp; OTX2), self-renewal capacity, and undifferentiated morphology, while BECs retained tight junction formation and migratory behavior.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods</h3><div>This co-culture platform permits real-time, dynamic, and mechanistic studies of tumor-endothelial cell interactions, overcoming the limitations of fixed-tissue analyses and facilitating precise experimental manipulation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This well-characterized model provides a physiologically and functionally relevant platform for further dissecting the reciprocal interactions present between various brain cancer cells and vascular endothelial cells, supporting the development of targeted therapeutic strategies and advancing our understanding of brain tumor biology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"427 ","pages":"Article 110657"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An optogenetic assay of Drosophila larval motor neuron performance in vivo","authors":"Yosuf Arab ,&nbsp;Gabriel G. Bonassi ,&nbsp;Marise N. Wilson ,&nbsp;Gregory T. Macleod","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Over fifty million people worldwide currently live with neurodegenerative diseases, many of which are the result of pathogenic gene variants. Genetically malleable model organisms provide an avenue for research into the genetic bases of these diseases, and the large motor neurons of fruit fly larvae provide a test bed for these investigations. However, it is challenging to collect information from these neurons under physiological conditions as they terminate on rhythmically contracting muscle fibers.</div></div><div><h3><em>New</em> Method</h3><div>As a test of <em>in vivo</em> neuronal performance, we expressed light-activated opsins in motor-neurons of unrestrained intact <em>Drosophila</em> larva and used light pulses to drive cyclical body-wall contractions that were captured on camera and analyzed offline.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We describe the assembly of an apparatus to systematically activate motor-neurons in <em>Drosophila</em> larvae and an image acquisition system to capture the resulting body-wall contractions. To test the utility of the assay we performed a motor-neuron specific knock-down of <em>Miro</em>, an adaptor [protein, MIRO] for mitochondrial transport into motor-neuron terminals.</div></div><div><h3><em>Comparison</em> with Existing Methods</h3><div>This <em>in vivo</em> assay allows for a test of sustained neuronal performance while sidestepping the shortcomings of electrophysiological assays of neurotransmission <em>in situ</em> where recordings are mechanically disrupted at endogenous firing rates. Secondly, unlike adult climbing assays and larval locomotion assays, performance is assayed independently of the organism’s motivation to perform or ability to detect stimuli.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Here we demonstrated an optogenetic assay for quantifying motor neuron output of intact <em>Drosophila</em> 3rd instar larvae. Our data established the robustness of the assay and its capacity to discriminate impaired motor neuron performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"427 ","pages":"Article 110661"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145774849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reconstruction and dynamic analysis of corticomuscular subnetworks reveal task-specific neural coordination in visuomotor control","authors":"Yugen You ,&nbsp;Jianeng Lin ,&nbsp;Xinyuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiewei Lu ,&nbsp;Ningbo Yu ,&nbsp;Jianda Han","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background:</h3><div>Understanding visuomotor coordination is critical for advancing behavioral neuroscience, particularly in elucidating fine hand control in daily activities. However, its dynamic organization in corticomuscular networks remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>New method:</h3><div>This study proposes a novel framework for reconstructing and analyzing corticomuscular subnetworks from simultaneously recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) signals during visuomotor tasks. Fifteen right-handed healthy subjects (9 males; mean age: <span><math><mrow><mn>22</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>80</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>01</mn></mrow></math></span> years) performed a grip-force tracking task under conditions with and without visual feedback. Dynamic corticomuscular networks were constructed with partial transfer entropy to capture evolving bidirectional information flow. Task-specific subnetworks were identified through non-negative matrix factorization and reconstructed based on activation-profile clustering with k-means. Subnetwork features were extracted, and correlation with behavioral performance was analyzed.</div></div><div><h3>Results:</h3><div>Eight activation profiles were identified without visual feedback, whereas three of these, involving more connections, were found with visual feedback. Moreover, subnetwork features involving efferent connections were correlated with tracking accuracy with visual feedback, while subnetworks involving afferent proprioceptive feedback were correlated with tracking accuracy without visual feedback.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods:</h3><div>A subnetwork reconstruction technique was integrated with conventional network decomposition to deal with the over-segmentation problem, improving interpretability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to decompose task-state dynamic cortico-muscular-cortical networks. Compared to full network analysis, the subnetworks showed stronger correlations with task performance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion:</h3><div>This study proposed a novel framework for analyzing dynamics of corticomuscular subnetworks and revealed distinct neural coordination strategies for visually guided and proprioception-driven motor control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"426 ","pages":"Article 110640"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Empirical multi-scale thresholding for evoked neural activity denoising","authors":"Hamidreza Abbaspour ,&nbsp;Harrison C. Walker ,&nbsp;Zachary T. Irwin","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110643","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Evoked potentials (EPs) are responses elicited by stimulation of the nervous system that serve as key biomarkers for assessing neural function, connectivity, and pathophysiology. Reliable EP extraction is challenged by low signal amplitudes, unrelated neural activity, and background noise across overlapping frequency ranges.</div></div><div><h3>New method</h3><div>This study presents a novel framework to estimate the noise distribution around EPs without relying on prior assumptions. The method uses a multi-scale bootstrap approach to statistically characterize noise and uncertainty, allowing separation of meaningful EP components from unrelated background activity. The core principle of the bootstrap is that the variance of resampled distributions empirically estimates variability, enabling noise characterization around the mean. By applying this strategy across multiple frequency bands, the method effectively captures dynamic neural variations and improves EP detection reliability.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The method is evaluated using electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings, including synthetic and real EPs. Quantitative analysis showed lower mean square error (MSE) between denoised and true EPs, indicating improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Qualitative evaluation of real EPs demonstrated enhanced visualization and more accurate morphology recovery, with reduced false detections and preserved EP integrity.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods</h3><div>Compared with conventional filtering techniques, the proposed method better adapts to non-stationary noise and dispersed EP energy while maintaining computational efficiency, ease of implementation, and adjustable confidence levels.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This approach offers improved EP detection and visualization in clinical and research contexts, particularly where recordings are time-limited or patient tolerance for extended sessions is low, supporting broader applications in neuroscience and neuro-engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"426 ","pages":"Article 110643"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145654455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating spatial and temporal metrics in smartphone-based finger tapping test: Insights into motor performance dynamics","authors":"Lucas de Sousa Miranda ,&nbsp;Bruna Rafaela da Silva Sousa ,&nbsp;Felipe André da Costa Brito ,&nbsp;Luis Carlos Pereira Monteiro ,&nbsp;Bianca Callegari ,&nbsp;André dos Santos Cabral ,&nbsp;Anselmo de Athayde Costa e Silva ,&nbsp;Alex Crisp ,&nbsp;Cândida Helena Lopes Alves ,&nbsp;Eliza Maria da Costa Brito Lacerda ,&nbsp;Anderson Belgamo ,&nbsp;Flávia Monteiro Farias ,&nbsp;Givago Silva Souza","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110645","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110645","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The Finger Tapping Test (FTT) is a classical tool for assessing motor timing. While traditionally limited to temporal measures, smartphone-based versions enable simultaneous recording of both temporal and spatial parameters, opening new opportunities for digital phenotyping of motor behavior. We aimed to characterize the temporal evolution of both temporal and spatial metrics during a 30-second smartphone-based FTT.</div></div><div><h3>New method</h3><div>Eighty healthy adults performed the FTT with both hands using a custom smartphone application. We quantified number of taps, intertap interval, total displacement, and elliptical area across six consecutive 5-second intervals. Friedman’s ANOVA and Kendall’s W were applied to assess time-dependent changes and effect sizes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Temporal parameters were sensitive to fatigue: tap count and total displacement decreased, while intertap interval increased across blocks. In contrast, the elliptical area remained stable, indicating preserved spatial control despite temporal deterioration. The largest effect size was found for intertap interval, particularly among female participants (Kendall’s W = 0.8).</div><div>Comparison with existing methods: Unlike traditional FTT implementations that capture only timing, our smartphone-based approach integrates spatial metrics, revealing a dissociation between temporal fatigue and spatial stability during repetitive tapping.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings demonstrate the added value of spatial metrics in digital motor assessments, highlighting the potential of smartphone-based FTT as a scalable and low-cost tool for behavioral neuroscience. By bridging temporal and spatial domains, this approach advances methodological innovation in motor performance analysis and paves the way for applications in both research and clinical populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"426 ","pages":"Article 110645"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145654398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A robust method for primary cerebellar culture and genetic manipulation of Purkinje cells from postnatal mice","authors":"Heiling Lu ,&nbsp;Friederike Stephani ,&nbsp;Myrna Aulia ,&nbsp;Edwin Mientjes ,&nbsp;Martijn Schonewille ,&nbsp;Catarina Osório","doi":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110627","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110627","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Primary cerebellar cultures are a powerful system for studying genes and pathways involved in development and disease. However, maintaining the survival of Purkinje cells <em>in vitro</em> remains challenging. These neurons represent a small fraction of the cerebellar population and are highly sensitive to culture conditions, making genetic manipulation difficult. Existing protocols often use more than one culture medium, vary in the developmental stage of the cerebellar tissue used, and may require supplementary support cell cultures.</div></div><div><h3>New method</h3><div>We describe a robust method for dissociated cerebellar cultures that supports Purkinje cell development and enables efficient genetic manipulation using two techniques.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our protocol supports the development of Purkinje cells from embryonic day 18 and postnatal day 1 mouse cerebellar tissue, with P1-derived neurons more closely resembling their <em>in vivo</em> counterparts. Genetic manipulation was achieved via cell-specific adeno-associated viral transduction and non-cell-specific antisense oligonucleotide transfection. Functional neuronal activity was confirmed using calcium imaging with Fluo-4 AM.</div></div><div><h3>Comparison with existing methods</h3><div>Our approach unifies key aspects of existing protocols. It uses a single-medium composition, eliminating the need for separate seeding and maintenance media. Culturing each cerebellum individually preserves the intrinsic number of supporting cells, eliminating the need for parallel cultures. Using postnatal tissue also reduces animal usage. Additionally, gene expression can be successfully modulated using antisense oligonucleotides.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This protocol provides an efficient framework for the culture, development, and genetic manipulation of Purkinje cells, facilitating their application in molecular, cellular, and functional studies of cerebellar development and disease models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16415,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neuroscience Methods","volume":"426 ","pages":"Article 110627"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145596700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}