As whole-genome and whole-exome datasets increase in size, they uncover alleles at lower and lower frequencies in the population. Samples of rare alleles often include recurrent mutations, where derived alleles are identical by state and not by descent. As a result, the site frequency spectrum (SFS) becomes challenging to analyze because it is strongly dependent […]
Early reaction time variability predicts implicit statistical learning: a comparison of four variability indices
High intra-individual reaction time variability (RTV) is traditionally viewed through a deficit perspective and interpreted as a maladaptive signature of attentional lapses, cognitive inefficiency, and systemic noise. However, theories from motor learning and the competitive neurocognitive networks framework suggest that behavioral variability and reduced top-down control might actually facilitate certain forms of implicit skill acquisition. […]
Category-selective functional connectivity during episodic encoding and retrieval in younger and older adults
Regions within ventral occipito-temporal cortex exhibit category-selective BOLD responses during episodic encoding and retrieval of visual information. How these regions interact with other brain areas during successful encoding and retrieval, and whether these interactions relate to memory performance, remains unclear. The present study examined category-selective functional connectivity using psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses in younger and […]
Elementary Dynamics of Neural Microcircuits
Interactions between distinct populations of excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) neurons can produce complex dynamical landscapes, featuring multistability, oscillations, and paradoxical perturbation responses. By employing an elementary model, the threshold-linear network (TLN), we indicate mathematical conditions for each dynamical regime across fundamental microcircuit architectures, thereby mapping previously unrelated systems neuroscience hypotheses to a common reference […]
Ultrasensitive voltage imaging reveals distinct electrical microdomains in neurons
For the brain to compute, electrical signals must propagate over the membranes of individual neurons, connecting synaptic inputs to synaptic outputs. Complex neuronal morphologies coupled with the spatial organization of synaptic inputs and outputs enable diverse voltage transformations that underlie cell-type specific computations. However, measuring these transformations in vivo has remained challenging, leaving a crucial […]
A hierarchical Bayesian framework accommodates intraspecific and interspecific variation in multivariate traits
Phylogenetic comparative methods are a critical tool in biology, providing the framework to test evolutionary hypotheses of phenotypic diversification. Accommodating intraspecific variation in these analyses is critical for accurate evolutionary inference, but current multivariate methods either assume traits evolve independently or that all taxa share the same intraspecific covariance structure. Violations of these assumptions can […]
Chronic Mild Stress Impairs Hippocampal Myelination through SOX6-Dependent Dysfunction of Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells
Chronic stress induces structural and functional changes in the brain, increasing susceptibility to major depressive disorder and other mental illnesses. Myelination deficits are a key pathological feature of stress-related disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms linking chronic stress to oligodendrocyte dysfunction remain poorly understood. Here, we used single-nucleus multiome sequencing to map gene expression and chromatin-accessibility […]
Relative Hemodynamic Timing in Human White Matter
Hemodynamic lag in white matter (WM) remains poorly understood despite its relevance to neurovascular health. We developed Local Propagation Mapping to quantify the spatiotemporal architecture of relative hemodynamic timing within WM. In young adults, WM lag architecture was reliable, aligned with venous anatomy, and reconfigured during working-memory task engagement; the magnitude of macroscopic lag modulation […]
Elementary Dynamics of Neural Microcircuits
Interactions between distinct populations of excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) neurons can produce complex dynamical landscapes, featuring multistability, oscillations, and paradoxical perturbation responses. By employing an elementary model, the threshold-linear network (TLN), we indicate mathematical conditions for each dynamical regime across fundamental microcircuit architectures, thereby mapping previously unrelated systems neuroscience hypotheses to a common reference […]
Olfactory learning potentiates long-range cortical GABAergic inputs onto adult-born neurons.
Adult neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb (OB) contributes to structural and functional plasticity, influencing olfactory perception, learning, and memory. Adult-born granule cells (abGCs) exhibit unique morphological, electrophysiological, and synaptic properties compared to their neonatally born counterparts, suggesting a specialized role in olfactory processing. In the OB, such processing relies both on sensory inputs from the […]
Hippocampal and prefrontal contributions to memory-guided navigation depend on task epoch
The hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are required for delayed working-memory tasks, but when in the task their engagement becomes necessary remains an open question. We trained mice on a delayed cue-guided T-maze navigation task and used transient optogenetic silencing to test the contribution of the mPFC and hippocampus during distinct task epochs. Surprisingly, […]
Accounting for recurrent mutation in the frequency spectrum of rare alleles
As whole-genome and whole-exome datasets increase in size, they uncover alleles at lower and lower frequencies in the population. Samples of rare alleles often include recurrent mutations, where derived alleles are identical by state and not by descent. As a result, the site frequency spectrum (SFS) becomes challenging to analyze because it is strongly dependent […]