{"title":"Therapeutic implications of allopregnanolone in Alzheimer’s related depression","authors":"Balaji Tidke, Sakshi Itekar, Ruchi Khobragade, Madhura Vinchurney, Rashmi Trivedi, Brijesh Taksande, Milind Umekar","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and depression share common neuropathological mechanisms, with neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired neurosteroid signalling contributing to both conditions. Allopregnanolone (ALLO), a potent neurosteroid, plays a crucial role in modulating mood, cognition, and neuroprotection via its interaction with GABA-A receptors and its ability to promote neurogenesis. Emerging evidence suggests that ALLO levels are significantly altered in AD, correlating with cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including depression. This review explores the pathological connection between AD and depression, highlighting the role of ALLO in mitigating disease progression and depressive symptoms. Preclinical studies demonstrate ALLO’s ability to enhance synaptic plasticity, reduce β-amyloid toxicity, and alleviate depressive-like behaviours in AD models. Additionally, clinical trials investigating ALLO’s therapeutic potential in AD and depression have shown promising results, though challenges remain in optimizing dosing, delivery, and patient selection. As a neurosteroid with both neuroprotective and antidepressant properties, ALLO represents a novel therapeutic approach that could bridge the gap between neurodegeneration and mood disorders. This review discusses the current understanding of ALLO’s mechanistic role, its altered levels in AD and depression, and its potential as a disease-modifying therapy. Furthermore, we evaluate preclinical and clinical evidence supporting ALLO’s efficacy, along with its limitations and future therapeutic prospects. By integrating neurosteroid-based strategies into AD treatment paradigms, ALLO may offer a promising avenue for addressing both cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD-induced depression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115785"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144932159","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":"Basolateral amygdala inhibition reduces avoidance in conditioned taste aversion—Transient chemogenetic silencing shifts behavior toward sustained licking","authors":"Tadashi Inui , Emi Kikuchi , Yuto Suzuki , Momoko Hasegawa , Zimo Wei , Helai Huang , Tomohiko Yoshizawa , Makoto Funahashi","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays a critical role in aversive learning and decision‑making, yet its specific contribution to the expression of conditioned taste aversion (CTA) remains incompletely understood. Here, we examined how transient chemogenetic inhibition of the BLA influences licking microstructure and approach–avoidance behavior toward a conditioned saccharin solution. Male C57BL/6 mice received bilateral BLA injections of AAV8‑hSyn‑hM4Di‑mCherry (experimental) or AAV8‑hSyn‑mCherry (control). CTA was induced by pairing saccharin (CS) with LiCl (US). Following CTA acquisition, animals were tested drug‑free (Test 1), after CNO or saline administration (Test 2), and drug‑free on the subsequent day (Test 3). In Test 2, CNO‑treated hM4Di‑expressing mice showed increased total licking, larger mean burst sizes, and a greater frequency of large bursts (>200 licks), accompanied by longer Entry‑Lick durations and reduced Entry‑Stop durations. Event‑based analyses confirmed fewer prolonged pauses and more sustained licking bouts in this group. These effects were absent in control groups and did not persist into Test 3, indicating a short‑lived influence on behavioral expression without erasure of the aversive memory. Together with previous manganese‑enhanced MRI evidence of BLA projections to the central amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis engaged during CTA expression, these results suggest that BLA activity modulates moment‑to‑moment avoidance through its downstream circuits. The findings provide new insight into the amygdala’s role in regulating complex ingestive behaviors and highlight potential neural targets for modifying maladaptive avoidance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115784"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890179","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}
Huazhi Li , Zhenzhong Feng , Binqing Xu , Jinlei Chen , Qingqing Li , Yulong Liu , Jinglong Wu , Mengni Zhou , Wenbo Luo
{"title":"Spatial frequency as a critical modulator: How oxytocin and facial expressions jointly affect cuteness perception of infant faces","authors":"Huazhi Li , Zhenzhong Feng , Binqing Xu , Jinlei Chen , Qingqing Li , Yulong Liu , Jinglong Wu , Mengni Zhou , Wenbo Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115783","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115783","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cuteness plays a vital role in facilitating parent-child bonding and prosocial behavior. However, few studies have examined cuteness perception from the perspective of visual information processing mechanisms. The current study employed spatial frequency (SF) as an experimental probe to investigate how stimulus-driven factor (infant facial expressions) and perceiver-dependent factors (observers’ oxytocin) influence cuteness perception using a subjective rating task. Present study employed a three-factor mixed experimental design, with SFs (broad SF, low SF and high SF) and facial expressions (positive, neutral and negative) as within-subjects variables, and oxytocin administration (24 IU oxytocin and placebo group) as a between-subjects variable. Subjective cuteness ratings were analyzed using linear mixed-effects modeling, incorporating experimental conditions as fixed effects (SFs, facial expression and oxytocin administration), gender as a covariate, and random effects for both participants and items. The results revealed that the effects of both oxytocin and facial expressions on cuteness perception were significantly modulated by SFs information. Notably, oxytocin elicited a statistically significant reduction in subjective cuteness ratings for low SF images (configural facial information), whereas no significant trend was observed for high SF images (detailed facial features). These findings suggest that cuteness perception represents an interactive process between stimulus characteristics and observer neurobiology, rather than a simple collection of static \"cute features\".</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115783"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903776","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}
Yajun Qiao , Ruiying Cheng , Huimin Zheng , Juan Guo , Lin Rong , Guoqiang Li , Lixin Wei , Tingting Gao , Hongtao Bi
{"title":"The impact of a high-fat diet (HFD) on mouse behavior, neurotransmitters, inflammation, and gut-brain axis metabolism under hypoxic conditions","authors":"Yajun Qiao , Ruiying Cheng , Huimin Zheng , Juan Guo , Lin Rong , Guoqiang Li , Lixin Wei , Tingting Gao , Hongtao Bi","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115782","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115782","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of the increasing global prevalence of mental health disorders, depression and anxiety have emerged as significant public health challenges. Notably, the incidence rates are higher in plateau regions. This study aimed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of a high-fat diet (HFD) and hypoxic conditions on mouse behavior. The mice were subjected to different diets (a HFD or a normal diet) and placed in a hypoxic environment. This study explored relevant mechanisms through the measurement of physical and behavioral indicators, pathological assessments, biochemical analyses, evaluation of gut microbiota diversity, and metabolomics. The results indicated that a HFD induced obesity in mice under hypoxic conditions, leading to abnormal behavior and reduced synthesis of neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxytryptaminergic (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Additionally, a HFD may synergize with increased hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) expression under hypoxic conditions, exacerbating multitissue inflammation, increasing proinflammatory factor levels, decreasing anti-inflammatory factor levels, and causing systemic inflammation due to gut injury, thereby damaging brain and gut tissues. Furthermore, a HFD altered the gut microbiota diversity, reducing beneficial bacteria while increasing harmful bacteria. KEGG pathway analysis and metabolomics revealed that the brain-gut metabolic pathway clustered around kynurenine metabolism, with metabolites such as kynurenic acid, 2-oxoadipic acid, (2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1h-indol-3-yl) acetic acid, and D-kynurenine being reduced, which are associated with inflammatory and depressive/anxious behaviors. Subsequent Spearman correlation analysis revealed an interaction network among all factors, with kynurenic acid positioned at the core, serving as a key hub for interactions. Under dual stimulation from hypoxia and a HFD, this network becomes imbalanced, inducing cerebral and gut metabolic disorders and abnormal behaviors. This study elucidates the multifactorial mechanisms underlying abnormal behavior caused by a HFD and hypoxia in mice, providing a foundation for future research and prevention and treatment strategies for mental health disorders in plateau regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115782"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144863935","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":"A novel cost-benefit decision-making task involving cued punishment: Effects of sex and psychostimulant administration","authors":"Mojdeh Faraji , Jennifer L. Bizon , Barry Setlow","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115781","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115781","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chronic substance use is associated with alterations in multiple forms of cost-benefit decision making, which may prolong and exacerbate continued use. Cues that predict reward can cause substantial shifts in a variety of reward-directed behavior, including decision making. In contrast, how decision making is modulated by cues predictive of punishment is much less well understood. To begin to address these issues, male and female Long-Evans rats were tested in a novel decision-making task in which they chose between a small, “safe” reward and a large reward that was punished by a mild footshock when it was preceded by a probabilistically delivered cue prior to the choice. Rats of both sexes were sensitive to the cue, preferring the large reward in the absence of the cue but the small reward in the presence of the cue. Acute systemic amphetamine reduced choice of the large reward and diminished the efficacy of the cue in guiding choice behavior. Chronic cocaine led to divergent patterns of cue insensitivity in males and females; males increased choice of the large reward on cued trials, whereas females increased avoidance of the large reward on uncued trials. Similar to acute amphetamine, acute systemic administration of the D2/3 dopamine receptor agonist bromocriptine reduced preference for the large reward across all groups. These findings highlight the contributions of punishment cues to decision making, as well as the importance of sex as a biological variable in investigating cognitive alterations caused by chronic substance use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115781"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886158","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 effect of emotion on false memories of events under a unified misinformation interference paradigm","authors":"Weirui Xiong, Yiwen Wang, Zhanmei Deng, Lu Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115778","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115778","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research examines how emotions influence the creation of false memories regarding events. Utilizing the misinformation interference framework, it investigates how the emotional characteristics of materials, as well as emotional states during both the encoding and retrieval stages, affect false memory formation. The study consists of three experiments, each designed with a 3 (emotional nature of target events: positive, neutral, negative) × 2 (information type: control information, misleading information) mixed approach. In the first experiment, participants viewed videos depicting events with varying emotional characteristics while in a neutral emotional state. The findings indicated that the emotional characteristics of the events did not significantly alter memory error rates; however, the type of information presented did have a notable effect on these rates. The second experiment manipulated emotional states during the encoding phase, revealing that these emotional conditions significantly impacted error rates, alongside a considerable influence from the type of information. The third study focused on emotional states during the retrieval phase, discovering that these emotions did not significantly affect error rates, while the type of information did, showing a notable interaction between the two factors. The results indicate a significant misleading effect in the false memory of events, with the emotional state during the encoding phase exerting a substantial influence on false memory formation. This study provides empirical evidence for understanding the relationship between emotion and false memory.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115778"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852184","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}
Zhiyu Liu , Shenghao Shi , Shuang Li , Keying Yan , Xue Wei , Zhiyuan Liu
{"title":"Neural markers of optimal decision in individuals with high entrepreneurial intention","authors":"Zhiyu Liu , Shenghao Shi , Shuang Li , Keying Yan , Xue Wei , Zhiyuan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115777","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115777","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>The characteristics of decision-making by so-called “entrepreneurial intenders” are closely related to the success of their future entrepreneurial activity. However, it remains unclear whether individuals with high entrepreneurial intention tend to make optimal decisions, and what the neural markers of this process are in case they do so.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, we recruited 561 participants to complete the Individual Entrepreneurial Intent scale. We used their scores on the scale to select 29 participants with high entrepreneurial intention (HEI) and 29 with low entrepreneurial intention (LEI), and collected electroencephalography (EEG) data on them as they performed a decision task.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results indicated that individuals with HEI made more optimal decisions and gained more benefits on the task. Moreover, the HEI group exhibited a stronger amplitude of the P2 component and greater power of the theta band in the frontal area of the brain prior to making optimal decisions than non-optimal decisions, while the LEI group did not.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our study suggests that the neural markers of optimal decisions in individuals with HEI were more likely to be expressed in terms of the amplitude of the P2 component in frontal area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115777"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841544","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}
Sohel S. Shaikh , Kuldip Vyas , Ayush Sharma , Snehal S. Patel , Farhana Malek , Anis Malik
{"title":"Exploring role of Bacillus coagulans BCP92™ (MTCC 25460) in modulation of depressive-like behavior: Unraveling microbiome gut-brain axis","authors":"Sohel S. Shaikh , Kuldip Vyas , Ayush Sharma , Snehal S. Patel , Farhana Malek , Anis Malik","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115776","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115776","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Recent findings indicate that gut microbiota can significantly impact cognitive health. In this study, we explored the effects of <em>Bacillus coagulans (Heyndrickxia coagulans)</em> BCP92™ on depression-like behaviors using maternal separation and the chronic unpredictable mild stress model.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Depression in rats was induced through maternal separation followed by chronic unpredictable mild stress. <em>B. coagulans</em> BCP92™ was administered to the rats at a dose of 2 billion CFU for six weeks. Depression-like behaviors were assessed using the sucrose preference test, forced swim test, elevated plus maze test, and open-field test. After the treatment period, the animals were sacrificed, and brain, intestine, and fecal samples were collected for biochemical, molecular, and histopathological analyses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div><em>B coagulans</em> BCP92™ mitigated depressive behaviors as evidenced by improvements in the behavior assessments. The treatment related changes in levels of neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor while reducing pro-inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, TNF-α, and IL-1β in the brain. Additionally, <em>B. coagulans</em> BCP92™ administration restored levels of BDNF, doublecortin, GFAP, and zona occludens in the brain, suggesting a neuroprotective effect. An increased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, along with higher levels of short-chain fatty acids in fecal samples, was observed. Histopathological analysis indicated that both brain and intestinal structures were preserved, demonstrating the maintenance of their integrity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The findings from this study suggest that <em>B. coagulans</em> BCP92™ exerts antidepressant effects by modulating the gut-brain axis, thereby remodeling gut microbiota and promoting neurobehavioral health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115776"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144844323","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}
Haohao Fan , Yuanyuan Li , Juan Huang , Jinyu Jiang , Fei Feng , Nanqu Huang , Yong Luo
{"title":"DJ-1 in Parkinson's disease: Its important role at endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria contact sites","authors":"Haohao Fan , Yuanyuan Li , Juan Huang , Jinyu Jiang , Fei Feng , Nanqu Huang , Yong Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115775","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115775","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting millions of people globally and causing significant impairments in motor and cognitive functions. The key pathological hallmarks of PD include the aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn), degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, and formation of Lewy bodies (LBs), leading to a range of clinical symptoms, such as rigidity, bradykinesia, and cognitive deficits. Although the exact causes of PD are not fully understood, factors such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are implicated in its pathogenesis. The protein DJ-1 (PARK7), a highly conserved antioxidant, has been identified as a significant factor in PD, particularly because of its role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and regulating cellular responses to stress. The interaction of DJ-1 with endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria contact sites (MERCs) is crucial for calcium regulation, autophagy, and the management of ER stress, all of which are related to PD progression. This review focuses on the function of DJ-1 within mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs or ER-MAMs), aiming to provide insights into PD mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"495 ","pages":"Article 115775"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841577","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}