Woojin Won, Mridula Bhalla, Jae-Hun Lee, C Justin Lee
{"title":"Astrocytes as Key Regulators of Neural Signaling in Health and Disease.","authors":"Woojin Won, Mridula Bhalla, Jae-Hun Lee, C Justin Lee","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-035356","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-035356","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Astrocytes, traditionally viewed as supportive cells within the central nervous system (CNS), are now recognized as dynamic regulators of neural signaling and homeostasis. They actively engage in synaptic transmission and brain health by releasing gliotransmitters such as glutamate, GABA, ATP, adenosine, lactate, and d-serine. Astrocytes also play a critical role in ion homeostasis and immune response through cytokine modulation and reactive oxygen species regulation. In pathological states, astrocytes can become reactive, contributing to neurodegeneration through dysregulated gliotransmitter release and metabolic dysfunction. Recently developed molecular and pharmacological tools allow the exploration of astrocytic response to injury and its influence on neuronal function. This review explores the multifaceted roles of astrocytes in health and disease, emphasizing sensory and motor functions as well as various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Understanding astrocyte-neuron signaling in health and disease provides crucial insights into their dual roles, offering novel avenues for therapeutic interventions in CNS disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143603113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Non-Image-Forming Functions of Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells.","authors":"Jianjun Meng, Xiaodan Huang, Chaoran Ren, Tian Xue","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-035532","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-035532","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Life on this planet is heavily influenced by light, the most critical external environmental factor. Mammals perceive environmental light mainly through three types of photoreceptors in the retina-rods, cones, and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). The latest discovered ipRGCs are particularly sensitive to short-wavelength light and have a unique phototransduction mechanism, compared with rods and cones. Piles of evidence suggest that ipRGCs mediate a series of light-regulated physiological functions such as circadian rhythms, sleep, metabolic homeostasis, mood, development, and higher cognitions, collectively known as non-image-forming vision. Recent advances in systems neuroscience, driven by modern neural circuit tools, have illuminated the structure and function of the neural pathways connecting the retina to subcortical regions, highlighting their involvement in an array of non-image-forming functions. Here we review key discoveries and recent progress regarding the neural circuit mechanisms employed by ipRGCs to regulate diverse biological functions and provide insights into unresolved scientific questions in this area.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143575683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Neural Circuits Underlying Sexually Dimorphic Innate Behaviors.","authors":"Meital Oren-Suissa, Troy R Shirangi","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-034621","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-034621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexually dimorphic instinctual behaviors that set females and males apart are found across animal clades. Recent studies in a variety of animal systems have provided deep insights into the neural circuits that guide sexually dimorphic behaviors, such as mating practices and social responses, and how sex differences in these circuits develop. Here, we discuss the neural circuits of several sexually dimorphic instinctual behaviors in rodents, flies, and worms-from mate attraction and aggression to pain perception and empathy. We highlight several salient similarities and differences between these circuits and reveal general principles that underlie the function and development of neural circuits for dimorphic behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143603414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dimitra Vardalaki, Courtney E Yaeger, Mark T Harnett
{"title":"Silent Synapses in the Adult Brain.","authors":"Dimitra Vardalaki, Courtney E Yaeger, Mark T Harnett","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-032924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-032924","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The formation of new synapses, the connections between neurons, is the critical step for neural circuit assembly. Newly formed glutamatergic synapses are initially silent and require activity-dependent plasticity to become fully functional connections. While these synapses have long been considered a vital part of the developmental program for neural networks, recent findings now indicate that silent synapses are a key source of neural circuit plasticity in the adult brain. Here, we review current evidence for silent synapses in the adult brain and explore the potential roles of these highly plastic structures. We argue that silent synapses may be instrumental in adult neural circuit remodeling and can serve as a latent reservoir of plasticity that enhances information processing and storage. This previously underappreciated aspect of adult plasticity underscores the need for innovative approaches and further investigation into the dynamic contribution of silent synapses to learning and memory in the adult brain.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143498027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phase Separation-Mediated Compartmentalization Underlies Synapse Formation and Plasticity.","authors":"Xiandeng Wu, Zeyu Shen, Mingjie Zhang","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-040159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-040159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The synapse is polarized and highly compartmentalized on both its pre- and postsynaptic sides. The compartmentalization of synaptic vesicles, as well as vesicle releasing and recycling machineries, allows neurotransmitters to be released with precisely controlled timing, speed, and amplitude. The compartmentalized and clustered organization of neurotransmitter receptors and their downstream signaling enzymes allows neuronal signals to be properly received and amplified. Synaptic adhesion molecules also form clustered assemblies to align pre- and postsynaptic subcompartments for synaptic formation, stability, and transmission. Recent studies indicate that such synaptic and subsynaptic compartmentalized organizations are formed via phase separation. This review discusses how such condensed subsynaptic compartments may form and function in the context of synapse formation and plasticity. We discuss how phase separation allows for the formation of multiple distinct condensates on both sides of a synapse and how such condensates communicate with each other. We also highlight how proteins display unique properties in condensed phases compared to the same proteins in dilute solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143472072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Oluwadamilola O Lawal, Dayu Lin, Julieta E Lischinsky
{"title":"Estrogen Control of Social Behaviors.","authors":"Oluwadamilola O Lawal, Dayu Lin, Julieta E Lischinsky","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-041639","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-041639","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Social behaviors, including parental care, mating, and fighting, all depend on the hormonal milieu of an organism. Decades of work highlighted estrogen as a key hormonal controller of social behaviors, exerting its influence primarily through binding to estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). Recent technological advances in chemogenetics, optogenetics, gene editing, and transgenic model organisms have allowed for a detailed understanding of the neuronal subpopulations and circuits for estrogen action across <i>Esr1</i>-expressing interconnected brain regions. Focusing on rodent studies, in this review we examine classical and contemporary research demonstrating the multifaceted role of estrogen and ERα in regulating social behaviors in a sex-specific and context-dependent manner. We highlight gaps in knowledge, particularly a missing link in the molecular cascade that allows estrogen to exert such a diverse behavioral repertoire through the coordination of gene expression changes. Understanding the molecular and cellular basis of ERα's action in social behaviors provides insights into the broader mechanisms of hormone-driven behavior modulation across the lifespan.Updated on April 9, 2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143472069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Macauley Smith Breault, Sirma Orguc, Ohyoon Kwon, Gloria H Kang, Bryan Tseng, David R Schreier, Emery N Brown
{"title":"Anesthetics as Treatments for Depression: Clinical Insights and Underlying Mechanisms.","authors":"Macauley Smith Breault, Sirma Orguc, Ohyoon Kwon, Gloria H Kang, Bryan Tseng, David R Schreier, Emery N Brown","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-062031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-062031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression are significant worldwide health problems that need new therapies. The success of the anesthetic ketamine as an antidepressant is well known. It is less widely known that several other anesthetic agents have also shown antidepressant effects. These include nitrous oxide, propofol, isoflurane, sevoflurane, dexmedetomidine, and xenon. We review clinical and basic science investigations that have studied the therapeutic value of these anesthetics for treating depression. We propose potential neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of anesthetics by combining our understanding of how anesthetics modulate brain dynamics to alter arousal states, current theories of depression pathophysiology, and findings from other depression treatment modalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Replay and Ripples in Humans.","authors":"Jinbo Zhang, Jianxin Ou, Yunzhe Liu","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-024516","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-024516","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During rest and sleep, the brain processes information through replay, reactivating neural patterns linked to past events and facilitating the exploration of potential future scenarios. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding human replay and its biomarker, sharp-wave ripples (SPW-Rs). We explore detection methods and connect insights from rodent studies. The review highlights unique aspects of human replay in internal cognition such as prioritizing past experiences for offline learning, generating hypothesized solutions to current problems, and factorizing structural representations for future generalization. We also examine the characteristics of SPW-Rs in humans, including their distribution along the hippocampal longitudinal axis, their widespread brain activations, and their influence on internal cognitive processes. Finally, we emphasize the need for improved methodologies and technologies to advance our understanding of cognitive processes during rest and sleep.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karrie M Kiang, Yogesh K H Wong, Soma Sengupta, Martine F Roussel, Q Richard Lu
{"title":"Developmental Origins and Oncogenesis in Medulloblastoma.","authors":"Karrie M Kiang, Yogesh K H Wong, Soma Sengupta, Martine F Roussel, Q Richard Lu","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-061540","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-112723-061540","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric brain cancer and is broadly categorized into four molecular subgroups. Understanding the cell origins of medulloblastoma is crucial for preventing tumor formation and relapse. Recent single-cell transcriptomics studies have identified the potential cell lineage vulnerabilities and mechanisms underpinning malignant transformation in medulloblastoma. Emerging evidence suggests that genetic-epigenetic alterations specific to each subgroup lead to a lineage-specific stall in the neural developmental program and subsequent tumorigenesis. We discuss the putative cells of origin, plasticity, and heterogeneity within medulloblastoma subgroups and delve into the genetic and epigenetic changes that predispose cells to transformation. Additionally, we review the current insights into how cerebellar stem/progenitor cells and lineage plasticity impact medulloblastoma pathogenesis and highlight recent therapeutic advances targeting specific oncogenic vulnerabilities in this malignancy.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143424684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Control Principles of Neural Dynamics Revealed by the Neurobiology of Timing.","authors":"Gabriel M Stine, Mehrdad Jazayeri","doi":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-091724-015512","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-neuro-091724-015512","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cognition unfolds dynamically over flexible timescales. A major goal of the field is to understand the computational and neurobiological principles that enable this flexibility. Here, we argue that the neurobiology of timing provides a platform for tackling these questions. We begin with an overview of proposed coding schemes for the representation of elapsed time, highlighting their computational properties. We then leverage the one-dimensional and unidirectional nature of time to highlight common principles across these coding schemes. These principles facilitate a precise formulation of questions related to the flexible control, variability, and calibration of neural dynamics. We review recent work that demonstrates how dynamical systems analysis of thalamocortical population activity in timing tasks has provided fundamental insights into how the brain calibrates and flexibly controls neural dynamics. We conclude with speculations about the architectural biases and neural substrates that support the control and calibration of neural dynamics more generally.</p>","PeriodicalId":8008,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143063296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}