Physiology & Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Molecular mechanisms underlying obesity-induced memory dysfunction: a comprehensive narrative review","authors":"Ahmad Golkar ,&nbsp;Fateme Razazpour ,&nbsp;Mohammad Dalfardi ,&nbsp;Yousef Baghcheghi","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally and is increasingly recognized as a significant risk factor for cognitive decline and memory impairment. This comprehensive narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the molecular mechanisms underlying obesity-induced memory dysfunction, drawing upon insights from <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em> models alongside human clinical and neuroimaging studies. We explore how chronic adiposity triggers a cascade of neuropathological events, beginning with peripheral metabolic dysregulation that propagates to the central nervous system. Key mechanisms include neuroinflammation mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and activated microglia, oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species generation, dysregulation of apoptosis pathways, suppression of neurotrophic factors (notably BDNF), neurotransmitter system imbalances, and central insulin resistance. Critically, obesity profoundly impairs hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptogenesis—processes fundamental to memory encoding and consolidation. These pathways exhibit extensive crosstalk, creating self-amplifying cycles that accelerate synaptic loss, neuronal dysfunction, and network disorganization. Emerging therapeutic strategies targeting these mechanisms, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, intranasal insulin, and anti-inflammatory agents, show promise in preclinical and early clinical studies. This review underscores the multifaceted nature of obesity-related cognitive decline and highlights the urgent need for mechanistic, longitudinal human studies to translate these findings into effective clinical interventions against the growing burden of obesity-associated neurodegeneration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115119"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145225947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Female mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata mexicana) alter their diet in terms of tannin consumption according to their reproductive stage","authors":"Anna Gisbrecht ,&nbsp;John F. Aristizabal ,&nbsp;Erandi Susana Hernández-Arriaga ,&nbsp;Juan Francisco Rodríguez-Landa ,&nbsp;María Remedios Mendoza-Lopez ,&nbsp;Laura Teresa Hernández-Salazar","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tannins (TN) are polyphenolic compounds primarily known to be involved in the defense mechanism of vascular plants against herbivory. Their excessive consumption can cause damage to an animal's digestive tract; yet, with moderate consumption, tannins have several beneficial health effects that have been well studied. However, little attention has been paid to the specific benefits of tannins for female health in different species. In this study, we investigated the role of TN content in the diet of female howler monkeys (<em>Alouatta palliata mexicana</em>) at different reproductive stages. From September 2021 to August 2023, we monitored a group of free-ranging mantled howler monkeys on Agaltepec island, Catemaco, Mexico. We recorded the feeding behavior of 20 adult females during different reproductive stages (cycling, gestating, and lactating stage). In 670 contact hours, a total of 1474 feeding sessions were recorded along with the collection of 31 different plant parts from 13 different vegetative species for subsequent tannin evaluation. Results showed that tannin intake significantly increased during lactation in comparison to the cycling stage. However, the increase in tannin intake was primarily due to high flower consumption. Fruit consumption did not affect dietary tannin levels. There were no significant changes in overall food consumption between reproductive stages. Our findings indicate that increased tannin consumption may play an important role for female howler monkeys during reproduction. However, the nature of the role is yet to be identified.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115116"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145207419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adolescent swimming exercise induces systemic adaptations and molecular changes in the rat cerebral cortex","authors":"Douglas Buchmann Godinho ,&nbsp;Leandro Machado Severo Feiteiro ,&nbsp;João Victor de Mattos Mautone Pedroso ,&nbsp;Derick Minuzzi Cardoso ,&nbsp;Ana Flavia Furian ,&nbsp;Mauro Schneider Oliveira ,&nbsp;Michele Rechia Fighera ,&nbsp;Luiz Fernando Freire Royes","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Adolescence is a critical developmental window during which physical activity can exert long-lasting effects on brain function and health. However, the molecular impact of structured exercise during this period remains poorly understood. This study investigated whether a five-week progressive swimming protocol during adolescence induces behavioral and molecular adaptations in the rat cerebral cortex</div></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><div>Twelve male Wistar rats were divided into Sedentary and Exercise groups. The Exercise group underwent a swimming protocol from postnatal day 41 (P41) to P73. From P76 to P79, animals underwent behavioral tests. On P80, they were euthanized for blood and cerebral cortex collection. Plasma irisin levels were measured by ELISA, and cortical proteins were analyzed by Western blotting.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Sedentary rats showed higher body weight than exercised rats. While exercise increased locomotor and exploratory tendencies, it did not affect memory. Exercised animals had elevated cortical BDNF and NRF2, with no change in irisin levels</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Structured swimming exercise during adolescence induces cortical molecular adaptations related to neuroplasticity and redox regulation, even in the absence of overt behavioral changes, supporting the hypothesis that early-life physical activity enhances latent brain resilience mechanisms that may be critical under future physiological or pathological challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115117"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145192575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Central pramlintide administration potently suppresses operant responding for sucrose and locomotor activity in male rats","authors":"Katherine A. Kern ,&nbsp;Adrianne M. DiBrog ,&nbsp;Emily Demieri ,&nbsp;Johnathan T. Przybysz ,&nbsp;Stewart D. Clark ,&nbsp;Elizabeth G. Mietlicki-Baase","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amylin is a feeding-suppressive hormone which acts centrally in the control of energy balance. Some evidence suggests it reduces motivation for food rewards. Pramlintide is a synthetic amylin analog that is used clinically in the treatment of diabetes, and it also reduces feeding and weight gain. However, the mechanisms behind these pramlintide-induced reductions in feeding are unclear. Here we tested the hypothesis that pramlintide would decrease motivation for a palatable food, sucrose pellets. Results show that peripheral (IP) pramlintide had no effect on progressive ratio responding for sucrose pellets. In contrast, intracerebroventricular (ICV) pramlintide reduced active lever pressing, reinforcers earned, and breakpoint for sucrose, even at lower doses subthreshold for effects on 24 h chow intake and body weight change. However, lever pressing behavior was completely abolished for many rats, raising concern for unexpected motor effects. To test whether central pramlintide impacted locomotor activity, we conducted an open field study and found that ICV pramlintide significantly reduced distance traveled at several timepoints, suggesting suppressed locomotor activity. Overall, our results suggest that peripheral pramlintide does not affect motivation for sucrose, and that although central pramlintide does reduce outcomes assessing motivation, this may be confounded by a concurrent reduction in locomotor activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145192537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comprehensive analysis of adult ultrasonic vocalizations in Cntnap2 knockout mice reveals quantitative, qualitative, and sex-specific differences","authors":"Emily L. Rodenko,&nbsp;Morgan O. Lemler,&nbsp;Matthew S. Binder","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Communicative deficits are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that present early in development and persist into adulthood. The majority of studies focus exclusively on early life communication, therefore the mechanisms underlying adult communicative behaviors are unclear. The <em>Cntnap2</em> gene is implicated in the onset of ASD deficits and is specifically vital for vocal communicative behaviors, however, its effects on adult communication are not known. To address this problem, we assessed vocal communicative behaviors known as ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in <em>Cntnap2</em> wildtype (WT) and knockout (KO) adult mice as well as scent marking behaviors - a form of non-vocal communication. When assessing courtship USVs via a male-female pairing session, we found that KO males produced significantly fewer USVs with a shorter duration, higher pitch, and lower tonality than WT males. They also emitted fewer two-component call types and more downward and composite calls. In the female urine-induced communicative paradigm, we found that KO males emitted calls of a higher frequency, trended towards a decreased call rate, and produced significantly more complex and short call types but less frequency step calls relative to controls. No other changes in USVs were found nor were there any differences in scent marking behaviors between groups. Lastly, using the female resident-intruder paradigm, we found numerous changes in call type utilization, but no differences in the call rate nor the spectral and temporal features of the calls. Altogether, these findings indicate that the <em>Cntnap2</em> gene selectively alters adult vocal communicative behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115115"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145192450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of obstructive sleep apnea on sleep cycles and spindle dynamics: A polysomnographic study","authors":"Hiwa Mohammadi ,&nbsp;Samane Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Rezaei ,&nbsp;Behzad Mahaki ,&nbsp;Habibolah Khazaie ,&nbsp;Ardalan Aarabi","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sleep spindles and the temporal organization of sleep are essential for restorative and cognitive functions, yet their disruption in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains poorly understood. This study examined spindle density and duration across sleep cycles in 30 OSA patients and 22 controls using full-night polysomnography. While total sleep time and stage proportions were similar between groups, sleep efficiency and arousal index worsened with OSA severity. Spindle duration in N2 was significantly reduced in moderate OSA, particularly at frontal sites, with a Group × Cycle interaction indicating altered temporal dynamics, with a significant difference primarily observed in the first sleep cycle. In N3 sleep, spindle density was significantly reduced in severe OSA compared to controls during the fourth sleep cycle. However, no significant group × cycle interaction was observed, indicating limited evidence for progressive spindle density decline with increasing OSA severity. These findings suggest that OSA severity impacts specific temporal aspects of spindle dynamics during the night, yet the alterations are stage-, cycle-, and severity-dependent rather than progressive across severity levels, emphasizing the potential cognitive and clinical relevance of disrupted spindle activity in OSA. Further research is warranted to clarify the mechanisms by which OSA affects sleep spindle modulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115106"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145192492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors associated with cardio-metabolic diseases and perception of current health status: An analysis of NHANES 2017–2018","authors":"Muhammed Lamin Sambou ,&nbsp;Yifan Wang ,&nbsp;Francis Manyori Bigambo ,&nbsp;Patrick Sambou ,&nbsp;Alima Sambou","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>We analyzed how exposure to multiple risk factors relates to the risk of cardio-metabolic disease and perceived current health status (CHS).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This cross-sectional study was based on 8897 participants of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) (2017–2018). Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models were applied to assess the associations between single and joint exposures with the outcomes. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) and Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) models were further implemented to predict individual and cumulative effects of the exposures.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Participants with a sleep disorder (OR = 2.43; 95 %CI: 2.08- 2.85; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and depression (OR = 2.91; 95 %CI: 2.51- 3.39; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Similarly, sleep disorder (OR = 0.45; 95 %CI: 0.39- 0.53; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), depression (OR = 0.29; 95 %CI: 025- 0.34; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), drug use (OR = 0.65; 95 %CI: 0.54- 0.78; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), and poor diet behavior (OR = 0.23; 95 %CI: 0.20- 0.27; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) were associated with reduced odds of perceived good CHS. High cholesterol levels increased the risk of CVD (OR = 1.73; 95 %CI: 1.51- 1.98; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and diabetes (OR = 2.39; 95 %CI: 2.06- 2.78; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). A high multi-exposure risk score was associated with increased risk of CVD (OR = 6.01; 95 %CI: 1.16- 36.33; <em>P</em> = 0.04), and significantly lower odds of reporting good CHS (OR = 0.06; 95 %CI: 0.01- 0.23; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). WQS models further indicated that overall exposure increased the risk of CVD (OR = 18.02; 95 %C: 13.14- 24.71; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and diabetes (OR = 1.55, 95 %CI: 1.02- 2.35; <em>P</em> = 0.04), while it was associated with decreased odds of perceived CHS (OR = 0.12; 95 %C: 0.09- 0.16; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A high multi-exposure risk score increased the risk of cardio-metabolic diseases and reduced the odds of perceived good CHS. Interventions targeting multiple risk factors in one may maximize efficiency and benefits for overall health and well-being.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115113"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145177709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of human behavior in accelerometer data from interactive toys by applying AutoML","authors":"Eddy Sánchez-DelaCruz,&nbsp;Cecilia-Irene Loeza-Mejía,&nbsp;Irahan-Otoniel José-Guzmán,&nbsp;Mirta Fuentes-Ramos","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background:</h3><div>Human behavior is closely tied to our identities, cultures, and illnesses, and is therefore highly relevant to social, commercial, and medical studies. Analyzing interactions between people or between people and items is a method for studying behavior. In this work, we analyze pre-recorded accelerometer data from interactions with embedded sensors to classify 8,946 behavior records from five classes: <em>drop</em>, <em>hit</em>, <em>pickup</em>, <em>shake</em>, and <em>throw</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Methods:</h3><div>We evaluated multiple machine learning algorithms—Bayes Network, Multinomial Logistic Regression, Multi-layer Perceptron, Naïve Bayes, and Repeated Incremental Pruning to Produce Error Reduction (RIPPER). Also, an AutoML approach was applied for automated model and hyperparameter selection.</div></div><div><h3>Results:</h3><div>AutoML outperformed traditional classifiers, achieving a precision of 94.4% and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area of 0.992 were obtained.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion:</h3><div>These findings confirm AutoML’s effectiveness in accurately identifying human behaviors from accelerometer data in interactive toys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145138477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An integral view of gut microbiome diversity and functional metabolic changes of a gut-brain axis associated with dementia based on metagenomic analysis","authors":"Bing-Mu Hsu ,&nbsp;Jung-Sheng Chen ,&nbsp;Wei-Yu Wang ,&nbsp;Chia-Jung Chen ,&nbsp;Cheng-Wei Fan ,&nbsp;Chin-Chia Wu ,&nbsp;Bashir Hussain ,&nbsp;Hsin-Chi Tsai","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115112","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Growing evidence highlights the vital role by gut microbiota in brain health through the gut-brain axis, which involves neural, immune, endocrine, and metabolic signaling pathways. Disruption of this axis through microbial dysbiosis is increasingly linked to cognitive disorders, including dementia. However, the specific taxa and pathways involved remain poorly characterized. This study investigates taxonomic and functional shifts in the gut microbiome across healthy individuals, mild dementia, and dementia patients, aiming to identify microbial signatures and metabolic alterations associated with cognitive decline.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A total of 184 participants (aged 60–98) were recruited and grouped into healthy, mild dementia, and dementia categories based on Clinical Dementia Rating scores. Demographic and clinical data were collected through structured interviews. Fecal samples were collected from participants and DNA was extracted and subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequencing data were processed using QIIME2 and classified using the SILVA database. Alpha (Shannon, Inverse Simpson) and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis PCoA) were analyzed between participant groups. Functional prediction was performed with PICRUSt2 to estimate KEGG orthologs from normalized ASVs. Statistical analyses were conducted in R using Kruskal-Wallis and PERMANOVA tests to assess group-level differences.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Dementia patients exhibited the highest proportion of unique ASVs (32.1 %) but showed reduced alpha diversity compared to mild dementia and healthy controls. PCoA revealed distinct microbial clustering across groups, explaining 19.3 % of total variance, with dementia samples forming a unique cluster. Taxonomically, dementia samples were enriched in Firmicutes and pro-inflammatory genera such as &lt;em&gt;Peptoclostridium&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Scardovia&lt;/em&gt;, while healthy controls harbored more SCFA-producing taxa like &lt;em&gt;Lachnospiraceae_UCG-001&lt;/em&gt;. Co-occurrence networks in dementia were more complex, with increased inter-species connectivity and key drivers including &lt;em&gt;Dorea&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Clostridium innocuum&lt;/em&gt;. Functionally, dementia samples showed enrichment of vanillate degradation pathways and depletion of neuroprotective pathways like ergothioneine and vitamin E biosynthesis, correlating with specific microbial signatures.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Cognitive decline was associated with reduced microbial diversity and selective enrichment of pro-inflammatory taxa, reflecting gut ecological instability due to dementia. Microbial composition shifted progressively with dementia severity, indicating disease-specific gut microbial restructuring. Moreover, the loss of key functional microbial metabolites such as neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory metabolites supports targeting such metabolites and their producing gut microbiota as a therapeutic strategy for dementia. Future ","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115112"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145131845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural correlates of Chinese taste metaphor processing","authors":"Yanyang Huang ,&nbsp;Lei Shen ,&nbsp;Le Li ,&nbsp;Yue Qi ,&nbsp;Jiayu Huang ,&nbsp;Chao Yan ,&nbsp;Laiquan Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Taste metaphors, such as “bitter truth”, are a common form of figurative language used in everyday life. It has been demonstrated that emotional valence influences metaphor processing. While Chinese is rich in taste-related expressions, studies exploring the neural correlates of taste metaphor processing in Chinese are limited. To address these questions, we enrolled 27 participants who read positive and negative taste metaphor sentences, synonymous literal sentences, and taste literal sentences during fMRI scanning. The results showed that: (a) in the contrast between taste metaphors and literal expressions, heightened activation was observed in the frontal-occipital-parietal brain regions (i.e., the middle frontal gyrus, left middle occipital gyrus and bilateral precuneus), confirming the involvement of these areas in metaphorical language comprehension; (b) taste metaphors exhibited increased functional connectivity within taste-related regions (i.e., including the parietal operculum and anterior cingulate gyrus) compared to synonymous literal sentences, and enhanced connectivity between taste-related (i.e., insula) and metaphor-processing brain regions (i.e., inferior frontal gyrus) compared with taste literal sentences; (c) compared to taste literal sentences, negative taste metaphors activated a broad network including the precuneus and cingulate cortex, while positive metaphors engaged the left angular gyrus. These findings suggested a unique neural signature for processing taste metaphors in Chinese, which was influenced by emotional valence and supported the embodied cognition framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115110"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145113935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}