Behavioural Brain Research最新文献

{"title":"Prediction bias for physical exertion in chronic fatigue: Evidence from an observational paradigm","authors":"Vallilath V.M. Ramakrishnan ,&nbsp;Yakeen Hafouda ,&nbsp;Joe Butler ,&nbsp;Paul Mullins ,&nbsp;Hans-Peter Kubis","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many clinical conditions are associated with a high incidence of chronic fatigue. While some physiological causes for chronic fatigue are established, e.g., processes connected to inflammation, psychological factors may also contribute. The metacognitive theory of dyshomeostasis proposes that a mismatch between cognitive predictions and sensory evidence for actions undermines self-efficacy and perception of control, contributing to chronic fatigue. We aimed to investigate alterations in prediction for physical exertion in participants with chronic fatigue using a new paradigm based on observation, therefore avoiding sensory feedback from the periphery. Participants watched randomised sets of videos with people exercising at different physical exertion levels. Participants had to predict the rate of physical exertion (RPE) of the individuals observed in the videos. Additionally, questionnaires for chronic fatigue, disability, mood, clinical history and body characteristics were assessed. 49 complete data sets from participants with chronic fatigue and 74 data sets from control subjects were analysed in this study. Compared with the control group, participants with chronic fatigue predicted a significantly higher RPE for the observed exercising individuals across all exertion levels. Multiple linear regression models revealed that in the control group, the variance of the bias in the prediction of exertion was significantly explained by the characteristics of the individuals observed in the videos. However, in the chronic fatigue group, the variance of bias in the prediction of exertion was strongly explained by the characteristics of the observer, i.e. fatigue levels and disability. Outcomes revealed that participants with chronic fatigue predicted higher exertion levels during observations and that levels were strongly influenced by their clinical symptoms, suggesting a prediction bias for exertion being present even without performing physical tasks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116043"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tackling the interplay between the brain and kidneys: CYP2C19 mice as a preclinical tool for studying cognitive impairment in kidney disease?","authors":"Dušanka Stanić ,&nbsp;Jelena Petrović ,&nbsp;Miloš Ilić ,&nbsp;Jelena Nedeljković ,&nbsp;Ana Ivanović ,&nbsp;Neda Milinković ,&nbsp;Marin M. Jukić ,&nbsp;Sophie Ferlicot ,&nbsp;Gaye Hafez ,&nbsp;Ziad Massy ,&nbsp;Vesna Pešić","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health issue, often associated with cognitive and behavioural disturbances. The cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2C19 has previously been associated with neurobehavioural changes. Humanised transgenic <em>CYP2C19</em> mice show emotional changes, and abnormalities in locomotion and in brain regions involved in memory and stress response. This study aimed to investigate whether cognitive impairments in <em>CYP2C19</em> transgenic mice are related to impaired renal function or structure. Adult male and female wild-type and <em>CYP2C19</em> mice (total N = 41) were included in the study. Behavioural phenotyping was performed by examining short-term memory in Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT) and social interaction in Social Recognition Test (SRT). After 24 h, urine was collected, animals were sacrificed, and blood samples and kidneys were collected and used for biochemical assays and histological assessment. NORT and SRT revealed cognitive deficits and possible social anxiety in <em>CYP2C19</em> mice compared to wild-type controls, as no difference was observed in time <em>CYP2C19</em> mice spent interacting with novel objects or unfamiliar animals. Biochemical analysis showed no significant differences in total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine and uric acid between experimental groups. Histological evaluation confirmed that there was no structural kidney damage in <em>CYP2C19</em> mice. Our findings indicate that in <em>CYP2C19</em> mice, cognitive and behavioural changes described here are independent of renal dysfunction. Therefore, <em>CYP2C19</em> mouse model represents a valuable tool to study cognitive impairment without concomitant kidney disease and could serve as a suitable control in studies investigating the interplay between cognitive decline and CKD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116047"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145994084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The suprachiasmatic nucleus-habenula axis: A circadian mechanism for suicide risk and mood dysregulation","authors":"Angu Bala Ganesh K.S.V. ,&nbsp;Amit Kumar Verma ,&nbsp;Shreha S.A. ,&nbsp;Sujeet Shekhar Sinha ,&nbsp;Revathi Boyina ,&nbsp;Sreya Kosanam","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Suicidal behavior exhibits a striking circadian pattern, with risk clustering in the late-night and pre-dawn hours. Traditional models have attributed this vulnerability to sleep loss or psychosocial factors, yet such explanations fail to capture the precision of its timing. Here, we propose a novel framework in which the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the brain’s master circadian clock, interacts with the habenula to generate temporally gated vulnerability to suicidality. The SCN normally entrains habenular excitability, aligning aversive bias with adaptive phases of the day. Disruption of this alignment results in habenular hyperactivity at inappropriate circadian phases, amplifying hopelessness, reward insensitivity, and negative prediction error processing. Anatomical and molecular evidence supports this axis: both regions express core clock genes (e.g., <em>Bmal1</em>, <em>Per2</em>) and exhibit rhythmic activity influencing downstream monoaminergic circuits. When misaligned, the amygdala further exaggerates fear responses while prefrontal cortical control is diminished, creating a triadic circuit of fear, hopelessness, and impaired regulation. This convergence generates a circadian “suicidal vulnerability window,” consistent with epidemiological data. Our framework yields testable predictions, including phase-specific peaks in ideation, time-dependent treatment responses, and neuroimaging signatures of SCN-habenula coupling. Clinically, it reframes suicidality as a temporal disorder of affective circuits, suggesting new avenues for prevention: chronotherapy, phase-specific pharmacology, and biomarker-guided risk stratification. By integrating circadian neuroscience with psychiatry, the SCN-habenula model provides a mechanistic basis for the temporal dynamics of suicide risk and offers a foundation for precision-timed interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116025"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145942418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-time interpersonal conflict and neural synchronization: An fNIRS hyperscanning study using an interactive Greedy Snake game","authors":"Kang Cao ,&nbsp;Mingming Zhang ,&nbsp;Heng Tan ,&nbsp;Jie Li","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interpersonal conflict is a ubiquitous social interaction phenomenon, yet its underlying neural mechanisms remain underspecified within cognitive-neuroscientific frameworks. Guided by the disagreement–interference–negative affect triad, we re-engineered the classic Greedy Snake game to establish two real-time interactive paradigms (Conflict vs. Non-Conflict), thereby operationalizing conflict. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning (fNIRS-hyperscanning), we recorded hemodynamic responses from 52 university student dyads (N = 104) during task execution. After excluding data that did not meet quality standards, 44 dyads were included for neural analysis. Behaviorally, the Conflict paradigm significantly amplified subjective perceptions of goal incongruence and mutual interference, and elicited antagonistic behavior as evidenced by reduced monetary reward allocation, effectively validating the experimental manipulation. Neurally, compared with the Non-Conflict group, the Conflict group elicited stronger oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) responses in the left inferior frontal gyrus (lIFG), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ), with higher inter-brain synchrony (IBS) in these regions. These findings suggest that interpersonal conflict necessitates coordinated cognitive processes, including action observation, cognitive control, and social inference. This study provides novel evidence for multi-brain coordination mechanisms during interpersonal conflict, offering a robust methodological and theoretical framework for social neuroscience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116027"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145948328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The mPFC-PAG in defensive coping: A correlational but not causal role in shifting strategy","authors":"Meijuan Li ,&nbsp;Qian Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoxue Li ,&nbsp;Zhixin Wu ,&nbsp;Wenjun Li ,&nbsp;Yvbo Ning ,&nbsp;Juanjuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiao Jiang ,&nbsp;Kai Wang ,&nbsp;Liang Jing","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Defensive behaviors under threat are fundamental for survival, and their dysregulation contributes to psychiatric disorders. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and periaqueductal gray (PAG) pathway are implicated in regulating defensive behaviors, but their specific role in choosing between coping strategies remains unclear. Here, we investigated these brain regions using the two-way active avoidance (TWAA) task in male rats. Anatomical tracing confirmed a robust unidirectional projection from layer V neurons of mPFC subregions (including ACC, PL, IL) to the PAG. Using c-Fos immunohistochemistry, we found significantly higher neuronal activation in the infralimbic cortex (IL), but not other mPFC subregions or the PAG, in rats exhibiting active avoidance (AA, active avoidance rate &gt; 80 %) compared to those showing reactive escape (RE, active avoidance rate ＜50 %). However, combining retrograde tracing with c-Fos labeling showed no differences in activation of PAG projecting neurons between AA groups and RE groups across all mPFC subregions. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of IL neurons or PAG neurons did not alter established AA/RE coping preferences in the TWAA task, nor did it affect baseline locomotion in the open field test. These findings reveal a critical dissociation between regional neuronal activity and the causal control of defensive behaviors. While IL activity correlates with AA, acute global activation of the mPFC or PAG is insufficient to override established coping preferences. This suggests that adaptive strategy switching likely requires precisely timed, cell-type-specific activation or modulation during learning phase, rather than broad activation after strategies are consolidated.</div></div><div><h3>Significance statement</h3><div>This study demonstrates that while infralimbic cortex activity correlates with active avoidance behavior, acute optogenetic activation of the mPFC or PAG is insufficient to shift established defensive coping strategies. These findings reveal a critical dissociation between regional neural activity patterns and the causal control of defensive behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116037"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145958542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anodal HD-tDCS of vmPFC facilitates learning of monosemous and polysemous words: A computational modeling study","authors":"Yufeng Zhou ,&nbsp;Fanghui Ge ,&nbsp;Weiwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Mengjie Lv ,&nbsp;John W. Schwieter ,&nbsp;Huanhuan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vocabulary learning requires learners to establish stable mappings between symbols and meanings. Reinforcement learning (RL) principles, through feedback-based value computation, provide a compelling framework supporting such mappings, with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) playing a key role in value-based learning and decision-making. In this study, we combined artificial pseudowords with a probabilistic reversal learning paradigm and applied high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) in the vmPFC to investigate its role in vocabulary acquisition. Computational modeling revealed that anodal HD-tDCS led to more stable integration of feedback and greater choice consistency. Parametric fMRI further showed enhanced value coding in the putamen and postcentral gyrus for monosemous words, along with strengthened frontostriatal connectivity that supported the acquisition of polysemous words. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that anodal HD-tDCS over the vmPFC, along with RL mechanisms, effectively facilitates vocabulary acquisition, advancing our understanding of the neural basis of language learning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116042"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute ketamine withdrawal disrupts memory and monoaminergic neurotransmission in adolescent female rats","authors":"Lucas Villar Pedrosa da Silva Pantoja ,&nbsp;Luiza Fernanda Ramos Soares ,&nbsp;Brenda Costa da Conceição ,&nbsp;Taiana Cristina Carvalheiro-Simas ,&nbsp;Diandra Araújo da Luz ,&nbsp;Rui Daniel Prediger ,&nbsp;Geanne Matos de Andrade ,&nbsp;Enéas Andrade Fontes-Junior ,&nbsp;Bruno Gonçalves Pinheiro ,&nbsp;Sabrina de Carvalho Cartágenes ,&nbsp;Cristiane Socorro Ferraz Maia","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adolescence is a period of profound behavioral changes associated with high brain vulnerability to negative stimuli including psychotropic drugs misuse which may contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, is an anesthetic agent used in a recreational manner in night clubs and raves, especially by intranasal route. The psychedelic effects of ketamine include euphoria, reward and mood swings, leading to an altered state of consciousness. Ketamine use has increased among adolescents and young adults, becoming a relevant global public health concern. At these events, drug consumption is often episodic but intense, which may disrupt diverse neuromodulation processes leading to behavioral impairments. Here, we investigated the mnemonic consequences of ketamine withdrawal following recreational exposure in adolescent female rats. To mimic weekend recreational use, adolescent female Wistar rats (n = 8 animals per group) received intranasal ketamine or saline (10 mg/kg/day) for three consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last ketamine administration, animals were submitted to a battery of behavioral tasks including novel object recognition, social recognition and Y-maze paradigms to assess episodic, social and working memories. Hippocampal and prefrontal cortex samples were collected for neurochemical analysis. Early ketamine withdrawal following acute exposure impaired all memory types evaluated in the current study. Additionally, a significant reduction in serotonin and norepinephrine levels were observed in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of ketamine exposure rats. These findings indicated cognitive and monoaminergic impairments in adolescent female rats at early ketamine withdrawal periods following acute exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116048"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145997084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does telencephalic lateralization modulate anxiety? Effects of unilateral ablation assessed in the light-dark and open field tests in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)","authors":"Jaqueline Alves de Souza ,&nbsp;Gabrielle Araujo Pimentel ,&nbsp;Luiz Henrique Florindo","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functional brain lateralization is widespread among vertebrates, including teleost fish, and plays a key role in emotional regulation, particularly in anxiety. However, the contribution of each telencephalic hemisphere to anxiety-like behavior remains poorly understood in most fish species. This study investigated whether unilateral telencephalic ablation affects anxiety-like responses in Nile tilapia, a species of ecological and economic relevance that is increasingly used in neurobehavioral research. Eighty-four fish were assigned to four groups: left ablation, right ablation, sham-operated, and intact controls. After behavioral performance was assessed using the light–dark test (n = 37) and the open field test (n = 35). Telencephalic ablation did not alter preference for the dark compartment; however, fish with right-hemisphere ablation showed increased avoidance of the light compartment, suggesting a potential lateralized contribution to threat evaluation. Across repeated exposures, freezing and erratic swimming decreased in all groups, including those with ablations, indicating preserved habituation despite telencephalic damage. In the open field test, no group differences were detected in freezing, thigmotaxis, or spatial distribution, although erratic swimming was more frequent in ablated animals, with the left-lesioned group differing significantly from both control groups. Overall, these findings indicate that telencephalic lateralization in Nile tilapia does not exclusively govern anxiety-like behavior but may influence specific components, such as light avoidance and motor reactivity. The preserved habituation and subtle lateralized effects highlight compensatory neural plasticity and the involvement of extra-telencephalic circuits. This study provides new evidence for emotional lateralization in teleost and reinforces the value of Nile tilapia as a model for investigating the neural basis of lateralized emotional processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116036"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145965211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to: “Maternal antibiotic administration during a critical developmental window has enduring neurobehavioural effects in offspring mice” [Behav. Brain Res. 404 (2021) 113156]","authors":"Rory O’Connor ,&nbsp;Gerard M. Moloney ,&nbsp;Christine Füllling ,&nbsp;Ken O’Riordan ,&nbsp;Pat Fitzgerald ,&nbsp;Harriët Schellekens ,&nbsp;Timothy G. Dinan ,&nbsp;John F. Cryan","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116041","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 116041"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145984360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activation of lateral hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone neurons mediates sex-specific patterns of methamphetamine self-administration in rats","authors":"Mauricio Suarez ,&nbsp;Isabel R.K. Kuebler ,&nbsp;Hannah M. Schneider ,&nbsp;Jessica D. Vollan ,&nbsp;Nicholas A. Hubbard ,&nbsp;Ken T. Wakabayashi","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.116002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.116002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Methamphetamine use disorder remains an ongoing public health concern. The neural systems underlying differences in methamphetamine reinforcement, especially between sexes, remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of lateral hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons in methamphetamine self-administration. A combinatorial viral approach was used to deliver activating DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs, hM3D) to these MCH neurons in female and male rats. Rats were trained with daily 2-hour sessions of intravenous methamphetamine self-administration (0.05 mg/kg/inf). Then, MCH neurons were activated during test sessions across 5 different methamphetamine doses. LH MCH activation produced bidirectional, sex-specific effects: enhanced methamphetamine intake in female and reduced intake in male rats, particularly at lower methamphetamine doses. Despite equivalent acquisition rates between sexes during training, divergent behavioral outcomes emerged specifically after targeted MCH activation. These findings demonstrate that MCH signaling exerts unique effects on reinforcement behavior and suggest that it regulates methamphetamine’s reinforcing properties in both a sex- and methamphetamine dose-dependent manner. Other measures such as latency to first infusion and inter-infusion intervals remained unchanged across groups, supporting the specificity of MCH’s impact on methamphetamine reinforcement rather than general arousal, locomotor output, or a specific effect of CNO pretreatment. These findings underscore the critical role of hypothalamic MCH neurons in modulating drug reward and highlight sex as a necessary biological factor for developing pharmacotherapeutic interventions that target this area for the treatment of psychostimulant use disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"501 ","pages":"Article 116002"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145843225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}