Physiology & Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Assessing the interconnected behavioral and physiological underpinnings of amphibian responses to fungal infection","authors":"Samantha A. Shablin,&nbsp;Sofia Valencia Osorio,&nbsp;Carl N. Keiser","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114951","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114951","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pathogens inflict various costs onto their hosts from sublethal changes in physiology and behavior to intense pathology and mortality. The timing of host immune responses and concomitant changes in behavior may be jointly underpinned by an increase in glucocorticoid hormones. The temporal and causal links between these interrelated responses to infection remain equivocal in many host-pathogen systems. Here, using a fungal pathogen implicated in global amphibian declines, <em>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</em> (<em>Bd</em>), we examined sublethal consequences of infection in the Cuban tree frog (<em>Osteopilus septentrionalis</em>). Specifically, we tracked changes in the neuroendocrine stress response by measuring urinary corticosterone (CORT) metabolites as well as immunological activation via neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratios over three consecutive rounds of <em>Bd</em> exposure. Additionally, we measured both exploratory behavior and activity level in open field arenas to evaluate whether infection-mediated changes in behavior and stress physiology coincided. Pathogen-exposed individuals began testing positive for <em>Bd</em> after two rounds of exposure. After the third exposure, <em>Bd</em>-positive frogs had higher CORT levels compared to control frogs. While infection load was not associated with N/L ratio, CORT concentrations showed a negative correlation with N/L ratio, suggesting a link between endocrine activity and immune regulation. Furthermore, there were no differences in exploratory behaviors or activity levels between control and <em>Bd</em>-exposed frogs. The lack of a relationship between N/L ratios and infection load may indicate a lag between neuroendocrine and immunological responses in this host-parasite system. This is further supported by the delayed increase in CORT levels only after three rounds of pathogen exposure. Alternatively, the lack of a relationship may be due to the immunosuppressive capability of <em>Bd</em>. The varied impacts of infection on physiological biomarkers indicates a greater need for researchers to consider simultaneous changes to behavior, neuroendocrine, and immunological measures of stress in future host-pathogen studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"297 ","pages":"Article 114951"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144030197","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":"The competition between brain and body: Does performing simultaneous cognitive and physical tasks alter the cortical activity of athletes compared to performing these tasks in isolation?","authors":"Lara de Souza ,&nbsp;Luciane Aparecida Moscaleski ,&nbsp;André Fonseca ,&nbsp;Vinicius Godoi Fernandes ,&nbsp;Gilson Mariano Nery ,&nbsp;Edgard Morya ,&nbsp;Luis Eduardo Viveiros de Castro ,&nbsp;Alexandre Hideki Okano ,&nbsp;Ryland Morgans ,&nbsp;Alexandre Moreira","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114936","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114936","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The underlying mechanism of an acute trade-off between cognitive and physical performances in athletes is still unclear. This study examined the effect of simultaneous cognitive and physical tasks on cortical electrical activity in 13 well-trained individuals who completed the \"isolated\" cognitive task (Stroop task), \"isolated\" physical task (12-minute cycle ergometer task), and the simultaneous (Stroop task + cycle ergometer) conditions. The participants fulfilled the subjective workload scale (NASA-TLX) and the ratings of perceived effort scale. For the cortical activity analysis (EEG), data from seven participants were retained allowing the analysis of 434 observational units for each condition. Spectral power was calculated for delta δ (0.5 to ≤4 Hz), theta θ (&gt;4 to ≤8 Hz), alpha α (&gt;8 to ≤13 Hz), beta β (&gt;13 to ≤30 Hz) and gamma γ (&gt;30 Hz) frequencies, and the biomarker theta-beta ratio (TBR). Significantly lower activity in gamma, beta and alpha bands during the isolated physical task and simultaneous condition (vs. cognitive condition) was observed (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). Moreover, the relative slow frequencies were higher during the isolated physical task and simultaneous conditions, with higher predominance during the simultaneous condition (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). The TBR presented a higher value for simultaneous (vs. isolated physical and isolated cognitive), with a higher value for the physical compared to cognitive condition (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). This shift suggests that when the brain is concurrently managing cognitive load and physical effort, there is a redistribution of oscillatory activity, possibly reflecting a more energy-conserving or integrative cortical state.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"297 ","pages":"Article 114936"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916248","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 satiety on palatable food associative learning and consumption in male and female adult rats","authors":"Rebecca Shteyn,&nbsp;Danielle S. Lafferty,&nbsp;Gorica D. Petrovich","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114935","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114935","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hedonic and memory mechanisms can stimulate food cravings and consumption in sated individuals, promoting binge eating and obesity. Despite that, how satiety impacts learning and memory about cues for palatable food in males and females remains unclear. This is the first study to directly compare food associative learning, extinction, and memory renewal between hungry and sated subjects of both sexes. Food-restricted and sated male and female adult Sprague Dawley rats were trained in Pavlovian cue-food conditioning sessions, followed by cue-only presentations during extinction in a different context. They were then tested for renewal of conditioned responding to the food cue by return to the conditioning context. Conditioned responding was assessed through foodcup approach behavior. These rats were also tested for consumption of palatable food and chow before and after the learning and memory protocol. Sated rats demonstrated learning, extinction, and renewal of conditioned responding, indicating that physiological hunger is not required for learning and memory of palatable food cues. There were differences during cue-food acquisition, food-deprived rats learned faster and reached a plateau in conditioned responding sooner than sated rats. However, there were no differences after the fourth session, when sated rats reached the same level of responding as the food-deprived rats. There were sex differences during early acquisition under sated but not hungry states. Sated females had higher conditioned responding than sated males, while food-deprived rats of both sexes responded similarly. Extinction and renewal tests showed that both hungry and sated rats successfully decreased and subsequently renewed their conditioned responses. These results demonstrate the durability of learning and persistence of food-cue memory regardless of hunger state. Consumption tests found that all rats prefer palatable food compared to chow. Females, particularly when sated, consumed more palatable food compared to males. Higher palatable food consumption and learning in females suggest an enhanced sensitivity to palatable rewards. Correlation analyses found a positive relation between the amounts of food rats consumed and their conditioned responding in both sexes. These results demonstrate robust associative learning and memory under satiety and add evidence of sex differences in hedonic food motivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"298 ","pages":"Article 114935"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144041473","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":"The impact of partner interaction on brief social buffering in adolescent female rats as analyzed by deep learning-based object detection algorithms","authors":"Minhyo Seo,&nbsp;Seong-Guk Bae,&nbsp;Jihyun Noh","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114934","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114934","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social buffering is a phenomenon whereby the stress response of anyone exposed to a distressing stimulus is alleviated by the presence of conspecific(s). In this study, we aimed to determine whether brief buffering (only 3 min) with conspecific immediately after fear conditioning can produce social buffering in adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats (4–5 weeks, male and female) and whether close partner interaction can impact brief social buffering in adolescent female rats. The rats received an electric shock in the black room of shuttle box, followed by a 3 min buffering period. After two learning sessions, the rats performed passive avoidance test individually, both immediately and 24 hr later. To reduce human bias and analyze variables not accessible to humans, data were analyzed using YOLOv8 and BoT-SORT, deep learning-based algorithm. As a result, Toy group, tested with an object resembling a rat, showed a significant increase in fear-related behavior for both sexes. Pair group, tested with a partner, showed a significant decrease in fear-related behavior in both sexes during the learning check, but only females maintained this decrease in the retention. In Pair female group, the longer the rat and its partner spent in the same room and the longer they stayed close, the higher the black room preference; this was a significant correlation. Therefore, we demonstrated that immediate brief social contact is sufficient to induce social buffering especially in female rats. In addition, social contact appears to be a key factor increasing the efficiency of social buffering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"297 ","pages":"Article 114934"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143917844","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":"Investigating the association between resilience and the 2D:4D finger length ratio in medical students","authors":"Mohammad Hossein Sadeghian ,&nbsp;Elham Shahidi Delshad ,&nbsp;Hadi Reza Zadeh ,&nbsp;Mahshid Lotfi ,&nbsp;Mojgan Bakhshi Nadosh ,&nbsp;Mitra Akhlaghi","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114932","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114932","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Resilience, defined as the ability to adapt and recover from adversity, plays a critical role in mitigating psychological distress, particularly in high-stress environments like medical education. This study investigates the association between resilience and the second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D), a proposed biomarker of prenatal androgen exposure, among medical students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Employing a cross-sectional design, 240 students from diverse disciplines participated. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and 2D:4D ratios were measured with precision digital calipers.</div><div>Results revealed no significant correlation between 2D:4D ratios and resilience scores. However, resilience was notably lower among participants with current psychiatric disorders, a history of suicide attempts, or self-harm. Gender-specific analyses highlighted an association between lower right-hand 2D:4D ratios and self-harm or suicide attempts in females, suggesting potential biological and sociocultural interactions. These findings underscore resilience as a multifactorial construct, shaped more by adaptive mechanisms and environmental influences than by prenatal biomarkers.</div><div>While the study's rigorous methodology strengthens its reliability, its focus on academically high-performing students may limit generalizability. Future research should incorporate diverse populations, longitudinal designs, and advanced biomarker analyses to better elucidate resilience's complex determinants. These insights are pivotal for developing targeted mental health interventions in high-stress academic contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"298 ","pages":"Article 114932"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144041593","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":"Prenatal exposure to Bisphenol A sex-specifically disrupts prepulse inhibition and decreases parvalbumin-positive neurons in the prefrontal cortex of adult rats","authors":"Abdolhakim Ghanbarzehi ,&nbsp;Soraya Mehrabi ,&nbsp;Abbas Piryaei ,&nbsp;Fereshteh Azedi ,&nbsp;Ali Mohammadi ,&nbsp;Ali Shahbazi","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114933","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114933","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Early-life exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has adverse effects on neuronal development and behavioral performance; however, many aspects of its effects remain unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate whether prenatal exposure to BPA can induce psychotic-like behaviors and impair certain schizophrenia-related GABAergic markers, including <em>GAD67, NRG1, ERbB4</em>, and parvalbumin (PV), in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of adult offspring rats. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered BPA (0.25 and 2.5 mg/kg/day), ethinyl estradiol as a reference estrogen, or a vehicle during the pregnancy period. On postnatal days (PNDs) 62–63, male and female offspring were tested for prepulse inhibition (PPI) and locomotor activity, followed by tissue collection on PND 64. Both doses of BPA significantly decreased PPI in female offspring compared to the control group, while no significant changes were observed in male offspring. Moreover, in female offspring, a marked reduction in the density of PV-positive neurons in the PFC was observed in both BPA groups compared to the control group. In the locomotor activity test, neither sex showed significant changes. Meanwhile, the PFC expression of <em>GAD67, NRG1</em>, and <em>ERbB4</em> genes did not show significant alterations in either male or female rats. Overall, this study demonstrates that prenatal BPA exposure disrupts PPI and decreases PV-positive neurons in the PFC of adult female rats. In other words, early neurodevelopment can be sex-specifically impaired by BPA, which may consequently increase susceptibility to schizophrenia in adulthood. Therefore, the detrimental effects of BPA on embryonic and fetal brain development should be considered in health policies related to pregnancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"297 ","pages":"Article 114933"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916247","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":"The combination of citalopram and crocin synergistically alleviates the anxiogenic-related behaviors induced by acute restraint stress (ARS) in male mice","authors":"Maryam Parhizkari ,&nbsp;Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Khakpai","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114927","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114927","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is well-known for the treatment of mood disorders and generalized anxiety disorder. Furthermore, crocin caused antidepressant impacts in clinical research and extensive anxiolytic impacts in experimental animal models. This research was designed to assess the effects of drug combinations of citalopram and crocin on anxiety-related behaviors induced by acute restraint stress (ARS) and aimed to discover the type of interaction between components. Acute restraint stress (ARS) was conducted by movement restraint for 4 hours. Anxiety-related behaviors were evaluated by elevated plus-maze (EPM). The results showed that induction of acute stress for 4 hours decreased the percent of open arm time (%OAT) and the percent of open arm entry (%OAE), showing anxiogenic-related behaviors. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of citalopram (2 and 4 mg/kg) or crocin (40 mg/kg) induced anxiolytic-related behaviors in non-acute restraint stress (NARS) and ARS mice due to the enhancement of %OAT and %OAE. Additionally, i.p. co-injection of a sub-threshold dosage of citalopram (1 mg/kg) along with different dosages of crocin (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) induced anxiolytic-related behaviors through augmentation of %OAT and %OAE. None of the above dosages of drugs changed the locomotor activity. Moreover, our results displayed a synergistic effect between citalopram and crocin on inducing anxiolytic-related behaviors in male mice. Our findings suggest that citalopram and crocin interact with each other for modulation of anxiety-related behaviors in the NARS and ARS mice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"297 ","pages":"Article 114927"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924534","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 triglyceride glucose - Body mass index on depression risk in Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults: Evidence from a large-scale study","authors":"Bohong Hu ,&nbsp;Dandan Yu ,&nbsp;Guixiang Guo ,&nbsp;Fangchao Wan ,&nbsp;Hongjuan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114931","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114931","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Current literature lacks evidence to characterize the relationship between the triglyceride glucose - body mass index (TyG-BMI) and depression. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the potential association between TyG-BMI and depression risk in a Chinese middle-aged and elderly population.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted in 2011, which included 17,708 participants. We used multifactorial logistic regression modeling to investigate the relationship between TyG-BMI and depression in Chinese adults, using smoothed curve fitting to assess the nonlinear relationship between them. In addition, we performed sensitivity and subgroup analyses to verify the robustness of the results.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 9328 participants were included in our study, After adjusting for all potential covariates, participants with higher levels of TyG-BMI had a lower risk of depression compared to Q1, the adjusted OR (95 % CI) values were Q2 (OR: 0.84, 95 % CI: 0.74–0.96, p = 0.009), Q3 (OR: 0.75, 95 % CI: 0.65–0.86, p &lt; 0.001), and Q4 (OR: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.57–0.79, p &lt; 0.001). The association between TyG-BMI and depression exhibited an <span>L</span>-shaped curve (nonlinear, p = 0.004). When TyG-BMI &lt;200, Increased TyG-BMI was associated with a significantly lower risk of depression (OR = 0.87 [95 %CI:0.82–0.93], p &lt; 0.001). However, there was no association between TyG-BMI and depression when TyG-BMI ≥200 (OR = 0.96 [95 %CI:0.91–1.02], p = 0.22).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The connection between TyG-BMI and depression in Chinese adults is <span>L</span>-shaped, with an inflection point around 200.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 114931"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878631","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":"Effects of training protocols that do not induce long-term sensitization on the expression of long-term feeding suppression in Aplysia","authors":"Robert T. Mueller,&nbsp;Elizabeth Carrillo,&nbsp;Marcy L. Wainwright,&nbsp;Riccardo Mozzachiodi","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114930","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114930","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research using various animal models has revealed that memory expression and persistence are governed by critical parameters including amount, intensity, and pattern of the stimuli employed during training. In addition, memory formation depends on the organism’s circadian clock, which dictates the time of day when training is conducive to inducing lasting memory. In the diurnal invertebrate <em>Aplysia</em>, repeated exposure to aversive stimuli during the day using long inter-trial intervals induces long-term sensitization (LTS) of defensive responses. Aversive protocols that cause LTS also induce long-term feeding suppression (LTFS). However, unlike LTS, LTFS appears to be less sensitive to the amount of training and is observed in conditions of food deprivation that prevent the occurrence of LTS. These observations led to the hypothesis that LTFS might not depend on some of the factors that regulate LTS expression. To further investigate the relation between LTS and LTFS, in this study, we analyzed whether LTFS was expressed following two aversive protocols that are known to not induce LTS: training delivered with a compressed timeframe (i.e., massed training), and training conducted at night (i.e., nocturnal training). Results indicate that massed training was conducive for the induction of LTFS even in the absence of LTS, whereas nocturnal training failed to induce both LTS and LTFS. These findings indicate that LTS and LTFS are both regulated by the circadian clock. The expression of LTFS in the absence of LTS in massed-trained animals indicates that LTFS differs from LTS in its sensitivity to the pattern of stimulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 114930"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143877593","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":"The endocannabinoid and paracannabinoid systems in natural reward processes: possible pharmacological targets?","authors":"Marzia Friuli ,&nbsp;Barbara Eramo ,&nbsp;Christian Sepe ,&nbsp;Mitra Kiani ,&nbsp;Paola Casolini ,&nbsp;Anna Rita Zuena","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114929","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114929","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural rewards such as food, mating, and social interaction are essential for survival and species preservation, and their regulation involves a complex interplay of motivational, cognitive, and emotional processes. Over the past two decades, increasing attention has been directed toward the endocannabinoid system and its paracannabinoid counterpart as key modulators of these behaviors. This review aims to provide an integrated overview of the roles played by the endocannabinoid and paracannabinoid systems in regulating natural reward-driven behaviors, focusing on feeding, reproductive behavior, and social interaction. We highlight how the endocannabinoid system - mainly through CB1 receptor signaling - modulates central and peripheral circuits involved in energy homeostasis, reward processing, and emotional regulation. In parallel, we explore the role of paracannabinoids, such as oleoylethanolamide (OEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and stearoylethanolamide (SEA), which act primarily via non-cannabinoid receptors and contribute to the regulation of appetite, sexual motivation, and social behavior. Special attention is given to the relevance of these systems in the pathophysiology of obesity, eating disorders, sexual dysfunctions, and social impairments, as well as their potential as pharmacological targets. Overall, the evidence discussed supports a broader conceptualization of endocannabinoid and paracannabinoid signaling as pivotal regulators of natural rewards and opens new avenues for the development of targeted interventions for motivational and reward-related disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 114929"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143875040","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}