Chenyu Pang, Na Zhou, Yiwen Deng, Yue Pu, Shihui Han
{"title":"Neural Tracking of Race-Related Information During Face Perception.","authors":"Chenyu Pang, Na Zhou, Yiwen Deng, Yue Pu, Shihui Han","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01419-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01419-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous studies have identified two group-level processes, neural representations of interracial between-group difference and intraracial within-group similarity, that contribute to the racial categorization of faces. What remains unclear is how the brain tracks race-related information that varies across different faces as an individual-level neural process involved in race perception. In three studies, we recorded functional MRI signals when Chinese adults performed different tasks on morphed faces in which proportions of pixels contributing to perceived racial identity (Asian vs White) and expression (pain vs neutral) varied independently. We found that, during a pain expression judgment task, tracking other-race and same-race-related information in perceived faces recruited the ventral occipitotemporal cortices and medial prefrontal/anterior temporal cortices, respectively. However, neural tracking of race-related information tended to be weakened during explicit race judgments on perceived faces. During a donation task, the medial prefrontal activity also tracked race-related information that distinguished between two perceived faces for altruistic decision-making and encoded the Euclidean distance between the two faces that predicted decision-making speeds. Our findings revealed task-dependent neural mechanisms underlying the tracking of race-related information during face perception and altruistic decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144120423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hippocampal Extracellular Matrix Protein Laminin β1 Regulates Neuropathic Pain and Pain-Related Cognitive Impairment.","authors":"Ying-Chun Li, Pei-Yang Liu, Hai-Tao Li, Shuai Wang, Yun-Xin Shi, Zhen-Zhen Li, Wen-Guang Chu, Xia Li, Wan-Neng Liu, Xing-Xing Zheng, Fei Wang, Wen-Juan Han, Jie Zhang, Sheng-Xi Wu, Rou-Gang Xie, Ceng Luo","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01422-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01422-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca<sup>2+</sup> levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144111483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaomeng Zhou, Ai-Lun Li, Wan-Jie Du, Pengyu Gao, Bin Lai, Fang Fang, Qingjian Han, Jing Cang
{"title":"Genetic Variation A118G in the OPRM1 Gene Underlies the Dimorphic Response to Epidural Opioid-Induced Itch.","authors":"Xiaomeng Zhou, Ai-Lun Li, Wan-Jie Du, Pengyu Gao, Bin Lai, Fang Fang, Qingjian Han, Jing Cang","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01411-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01411-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuraxial opioids, widely used in obstetric and perioperative pain management, often lead to unwanted itch, reducing patient satisfaction. While the μ-opioid receptor has been implicated in opioid-induced itch, the genetic basis for variable itch incidence remains unknown. This study examined 3616 patients receiving epidural opioids, revealing an itch occurrence of 26.55%, with variations among opioid types and gender. Analysis of the OPRM1 gene identified six single-nucleotide polymorphisms, notably rs1799971 (A118G), that correlated with opioid-induced itch. Mouse models with an equivalent A112G mutation showed reduced neuraxial opioid-induced itch and light touch-evoked itch, mirroring human findings. The 118G allele demonstrated an anti-itch effect without impacting analgesia, addiction, or tolerance, offering insights for risk stratification and potential anti-itch pretreatment strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144086631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Threat-Driven Social Plasticity: Switch from Innate Attraction to Conditioned Preference.","authors":"Hongyu Zuo, Jie Li, Xia Zhang, Bin Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01416-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01416-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144079151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wei-Kun Su, Yan-Jia Luo, Fangyuan Li, Hong Jiang, Jing Wang, Ya-Dong Li
{"title":"The Eyes are The Windows To The Soul: Pupillary Changes Reflect The Consolidation of New and Old Memories During Sleep.","authors":"Wei-Kun Su, Yan-Jia Luo, Fangyuan Li, Hong Jiang, Jing Wang, Ya-Dong Li","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01410-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01410-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144034198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Novel Functional Method of Protector Screening for Zebrafish Lateral Line Hair Cells via the Acoustic Escape Response.","authors":"Ling Zheng, Qiaosen Shen, Tong Zhao, Qingsong Liu, Zihao Huang, Feng Zhao, Mengqian Zhang, Yongdong Song, Daogong Zhang, Dong Liu, Fangyi Chen","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01406-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01406-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zebrafish larvae are useful for identifying chemicals against lateral line (LL) hair cell (HC) damage and this type of chemical screen mainly focuses on searching for protectors against cell death. To expand the candidate pool of HC protectors, a self-built acoustic escape response (AER)-detecting system was developed to apply both low-frequency near-field sound transmission and AER image acquisition/processing modules. The device quickly confirmed the changed LL HC functions caused by most known ototoxins, protectors, and neural transmission modifiers, or knockdown of LL HC-expressing genes. With ten devices wired in tandem, five 'hit' chemicals were identified from 124 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors to partially restore cisplatin-damaged AER in less than a day. AS2863619, ribociclib, and SU9516 among the hits, protected the HCs in the mouse cochlea. Therefore, using free-swimming larval zebrafish, the self-made AER-detecting device can efficiently identify compounds that are protective against HC damage, including cell death and loss-of-function.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143972602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Endothelial Cell Integrin α6 Regulates Vascular Remodeling Through the PI3K/Akt-eNOS-VEGFA Axis After Stroke.","authors":"Bing-Qiao Wang, Yang-Ying Duan, Mao Chen, Yu-Fan Ma, Ru Chen, Cheng Huang, Fei Gao, Rui Xu, Chun-Mei Duan","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01403-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01403-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The angiogenic response is essential for the repair of ischemic brain tissue. Integrin α6 (Itga6) expression has been shown to increase under hypoxic conditions and is expressed exclusively in vascular structures; however, its role in post-ischemic angiogenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that mice with endothelial cell-specific knockout of Itga6 exhibit reduced neovascularization, reduced pericyte coverage on microvessels, and accelerated breakdown of microvascular integrity in the peri-infarct area. In vitro, endothelial cells with ITGA6 knockdown display reduced proliferation, migration, and tube-formation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that ITGA6 regulates post-stroke angiogenesis through the PI3K/Akt-eNOS-VEGFA axis. Importantly, the specific overexpression of Itga6 in endothelial cells significantly enhanced neovascularization and enhanced the integrity of microvessels, leading to improved functional recovery. Our results suggest that endothelial cell Itga6 plays a crucial role in key steps of post-stroke angiogenesis, and may represent a promising therapeutic target for promoting recovery after stroke.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144037530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Neuroscience bulletinPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-02-09DOI: 10.1007/s12264-025-01362-y
Minzhu Li, Li Cheng
{"title":"Mapping Fear-Related Neural Activity and Circuitry Changes Following Prophylactic Administration of (R,S)-Ketamine and (2S,6S)-Hydroxynorketamine.","authors":"Minzhu Li, Li Cheng","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01362-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01362-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"925-928"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12014964/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Supplementary Motor Area as a Flexible Hub Mediating Behavioral and Neuroplastic Changes in Motor Sequence Learning: A TMS and TMS-EEG Study.","authors":"Jing Chen, Yanzi Fan, Xize Jia, Fengmei Fan, Jinhui Wang, Qihong Zou, Bing Chen, Xianwei Che, Yating Lv","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01375-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01375-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Attempts have been made to modulate motor sequence learning (MSL) through repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, targeting different sites within the sensorimotor network. However, the target with the optimum modulatory effect on neural plasticity associated with MSL remains unclarified. This study was therefore designed to compare the role of the left primary motor cortex and the left supplementary motor area proper (SMAp) in modulating MSL across different complexity levels and for both hands, as well as the associated neuroplasticity by applying intermittent theta burst stimulation together with the electroencephalogram and concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation. Our data demonstrated the role of SMAp stimulation in modulating neural communication to support MSL, which is achieved by facilitating regional activation and orchestrating neural coupling across distributed brain regions, particularly in interhemispheric connections. These findings may have important clinical implications, particularly for motor rehabilitation in populations such as post-stroke patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"837-852"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12014987/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143625530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}