Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience最新文献

Oscillatory activity is thought to coordinate neural computations across brain regions, and theta oscillations are critical for learning and memory. Because respiration-related oscillations (RROs) in rodents can be identified in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus in addition to canonical theta oscillations, we asked whether odor-cued working memory may be supported by both of these two oscillations. We first confirmed that RROs were propagated to the hippocampus and PFC and that RRO frequency spans a broad range that partially overlaps with canonical theta frequency. During all task phases, we found coherence between PFC and hippocampus at the RRO frequency, irrespective of whether RROs and canonical theta oscillations overlapped or differed in frequency. In parallel, there was also high coherence across PFC and hippocampus at theta frequency, except that the coupling at theta was weakest during odor sampling. Therefore, long-range coordination between brain regions occurs at more than one oscillation frequency in a working memory task, but the two types of oscillations did not show evidence of conjunctively supporting working memory.

Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens (NAc-DBS) has been shown to ameliorate depressive-like behaviors. However, the underlying mechanisms of action remain elusive. We aimed to investigate the impact of NAc-DBS on synaptic spine alterations in hippocampus in a depression mice model and unveil the possible signal pathway mediating such effects. The experimental protocol involved exposing adult mice to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) with or without NAc-DBS. Behavioral assessments were performed to evaluate the impact of NAc-DBS on emotional alterations. Local field potential (LFP) recordings were employed to examine the hippocampal neuronal activity in awake mice. Golgi-Cox staining was applied to quantify modifications in dendritic spine density. Additionally, hippocampal protein expression of postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway were analyzed. Results indicate that CUMS mice exhibited apparent depressive-like behaviors, concomitant with reduced hippocampal high gamma oscillation power and synaptic spine density. In addition, CUMS reduced the expression level of PSD-95 and BDNF in mice hippocampus, as well as phosphorylated AKT and mTOR protein. The study revealed that NAc-DBS could attenuate depression-like behaviors, restore high gamma oscillation power and enhance synaptic spine density, potentially by increasing BDNF protein expression level and activating AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, Rapamycin, a potent and specific mTOR inhibitor, was found to moderate the effects of NAc-DBS. These findings suggest that NAc-DBS could enhance synaptic spine density via AKT/mTOR/BDNF signal pathway, which may partially underline its potential antidepressant effects in CUMS induced depressive models.

Behavioral neuroscience generally conceives of habits as under stimulus-response control, and distinguishes habits from goal-directed behavior based on their insensitivity to outcome value (features of automaticity). However, the everyday meaning of "bad habits" is applied primarily to behaviors that are compelling, in part, because of their anticipated outcome value. In particular, commonly identified bad habits (e.g., overuse of social media, overeating, smoking) are repeated behaviors that yield appealing immediate outcomes, but at a greater longer term cost ("temptations"). We begin by evaluating the role of both automaticity and temptation in the maintenance of bad habits. Next we focus on how framing effects can be used to shift the balance of motivation away from immediate and/or toward delayed outcome value, including a partial summary of what is known about the neural substrates that mediate such shifts. We pay particular attention to the way frames can promote replacing bad habits with good habits through emphasizing the connection between specific choices and general policy preferences.

The novel tank diving test (NTT) is a widely used behavioral assay for evaluating anxiety-like behaviors in zebrafish; however, results often exhibit considerable variability across different experimental settings. In this study, we systematically analyzed various methodological factors influencing the outcomes of NTT and introduced refinements to enhance its reliability and reproducibility. We optimized the detection parameters for region entry and freezing behavior using logistic regression analysis, significantly reducing false-positive classifications caused by tracking artifacts. The impact of pre-test stress conditions-restraint and darkness-was assessed, demonstrating that restraint effectively decreased the variability in behavioral parameters, such as latency to enter the top half (LTTH) of the tank and frequency of entries (FE). Conversely, combining darkness with restraint induced abnormal behaviors, limiting utility of the test. The effects of temperature were also rigorously evaluated, revealing that even subtle deviations within 3 °C of the standard temperature of 26.5 °C significantly affected behavioral variability, and 26.5 °C was optimal for reliable outcomes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that net-chasing during fish handling significantly increased the freezing time, suggesting the adoption of funnel-based transfers to reduce stress artifacts. Finally, behavioral patterns during stable test conditions followed a Poisson process, enabling the estimation of optimal test durations. Overall, our proposed refinements help establish a standardized, robust NTT protocol that minimizes variability and enhances the assay's sensitivity and reproducibility to investigate anxiety behavior in zebrafish.

Introduction: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic relapsing condition caused by prolonged opioid exposure, which triggers adaptive changes in the brain. These changes make it challenging to control or abstain from consuming, and significantly increase the risk of relapse. While the physical symptoms of withdrawal typically resolve within a few days, extended abstinence is frequently accompanied by the progressive development of emotional disturbances. Additionally, abstinent individuals often report social disengagement, or even social isolation that worsen the condition and participates in the development of comorbidities. These disturbances are similarly observed in murine models of opioid abstinence.

Methods: However, traditional methods for assessing social deficits in rodents often rely on simplistic paradigms with limited behavioral metrics. Here, we utilized a well-established model of morphine administration followed by protracted abstinence, combined with the Live Mouse Tracker (LMT) system. Using the real-time video-based automated LMT system, we conducted longitudinal recordings of social behaviors over a 4-week period of morphine abstinence, during repeated social interaction sessions.

Results: The use of this method, offering an unbiased and precise behavioral characterization of social investigation between freely-moving male mice, revealed that while motor and activity-related disruptions emerge and resolve quickly immediately following the onset of abstinence, social deficits progressively intensify over time, reaching their peak 3 weeks after the final morphine administration. Additionally, the LMT provided detailed insights into subtle behavioral changes throughout the course of abstinence and within individual but also that early deficits in explorations and social interactions might serve as predictor for the severity of the late social deficits.

Discussion: These results point out the need to improve and implement unbiased tracking methods for a deeper and refined understanding of rodent behaviors modeling psychiatric conditions.

Motor learning is supported by both explicit and implicit processes. A central question in the field of motor control is how these two processes interact and, critically, how each process can be assessed in an unbiased manner. In this perspective paper, we propose that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) offers an informative window into explicit cognitive processes during motor learning. We first briefly review studies outside the motor learning domain, where ANS activity has been linked to internal cognitive states such as surprise and uncertainty. We then discuss how these ANS-related states can be leveraged to assess the manifestation and influence of explicit processes during motor learning, as well as to explore cognitive computations that may involve central ANS activity, including contextual inference.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a pleasant tingling sensation felt across the scalp and neck, widely reported to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. The Proximity Prediction Hypothesis (PPH) is the first comprehensive predictive coding model explaining ASMR's underlying neural mechanism. PPH posits that near-field acoustic cues from common ASMR triggers (e.g., brushing sounds, whispered speech) engage the audio-tactile Peripersonal Space Network, generating a top-down prediction of gentle C-tactile (CT) touch on CT fibre-rich skin of the scalp and neck. This prediction suppresses locus coeruleus (LC) arousal and increases vagal output, offering a mechanistic explanation for the phenomenon's therapeutic benefits. In a subjective-experience survey (N = 64), ASMR-labelled trials were rated significantly more pleasant but only slightly more arousing than controls. Pleasantness predicted both the presence and intensity of tingles, supporting PPH's core claim that hedonic value, rather than sympathetic activation, drives the graded somatosensory response. PPH situates ASMR within the Neurovisceral Integration framework, predicting measurable Central Nervous System-Autonomic Nervous System (CNS-ANS) markers (beta-band desynchronisation in the posterior insula and proportional increases in high-frequency heart rate variability with tingle intensity). It further predicts reduced LC activity during ASMR, stronger effects in individuals with high interoceptive prediction error (e.g., anxiety, autism), and attenuation of tingles when spatial proximity cues are removed. By integrating auditory proximity, CT-touch anticipation, and autonomic regulation into a single predictive-coding account, PPH provides a unified, testable framework for explaining ASMR, offering a blueprint for translating this sensory phenomenon into targeted, evidence-based interventions for anxiety and sleep disorders.

Background: Physical activity is linked to mental health, yet the dose-response shape remains debated.

Methods: In a cross-sectional sample of Chinese university students, 820 participants (mean age 21.5 years; 51.8% women) wore wrist accelerometers for 7 days. Subjective well-being (SWB) was measured with the WHO-5 (0-100). Restricted cubic spline models adjusted for age, sex, sleep quality, perceived stress, and socioeconomic status. Sensitivity analyses included quadratic and segmented models, trimming/winsorization, and E-value assessment. Peaks/plateaus were estimated via the delta method and bootstrap-BCa confidence intervals.

Results: The steps-SWB association was non-linear (overall p<0.05). SWB rose steeply up to ~8,650 steps/day and then leveled off, with a statistical plateau near ~19,300 steps/day (bootstrap-BCa 95% CI: 7,997-17,896; delta-method 95% CI: 9,394-14,462). No contrast versus 4,000 steps/day exceeded the prespecified minimal clinically important difference (MCID=10 points). Findings were consistent across specifications; right-tail precision was limited due to few very high step counts.

Conclusion: Among university students, higher daily steps are associated with better SWB up to ~8,000-12,000 steps/day, beyond which benefits plateau with diminishing returns rather than harm. Results support range-based, progressive step guidance for student mental health. Please replace the current abstract with the structured IMRaD version provided above.

Introduction: Motor sequence learning - the integration of individual movement elements into coordinated actions - is essential for everyday skills. This process comprises online learning during practice and post-practice offline consolidation. A key mechanism is action-perception coupling, in which motor actions become linked with predictable sensory outcomes. Pitch feedback, which conveys timing and spatial information, may strengthen this coupling and facilitate skill acquisition. Here, we evaluated pitch feedback as a tool to modulate both online and offline motor sequence learning.

Methods: We included sixty healthy young non-musicians (mean age: 28.4 ± 4.6 years) who were asked to perform a finger-tapping task on a MIDI keyboard. They were randomly assigned to one of three auditory feedback groups: congruent, fixed, and random pitch feedback. The task involved repeatedly performing an 11-item sequence with the right hand. Pitch feedback was delivered according to group assignment during 14 training blocks of six sequences each. Prior to training, participants completed one block of the task without pitch feedback to assess baseline performance. Retention was tested 6 h later under two conditions: seven blocks without pitch feedback (Retest 1) and seven blocks with pitch feedback (Retest 2).

Results: Congruent pitch feedback facilitated online learning across the initial training session compared to fixed or random feedback. This advantage of congruent pitch feedback persisted during retesting in the presence of feedback (Retest 2), but did not generalize to task performance in the absence of pitch feedback (Retest 1). Importantly, while online learning and task performance were facilitated by congruent pitch feedback, between-session performance changes were significantly larger in the group that received random pitch feedback during the initial training session compared to the congruent and fixed feedback groups.

Conclusion: These findings highlight a dissociation between feedback types that optimize immediate performance and those that promote lasting motor memory formation. While congruent pitch feedback facilitates online skill acquisition compared to fixed or random pitch feedback, unpredictable auditory input may challenge learners to engage internal monitoring mechanisms, leading to more robust, feedback-independent motor memory consolidation. These insights have implications for optimizing auditory feedback in motor learning and neurorehabilitation contexts.

Objective: To compare the effects of ziprasidone and olanzapine on cognitive function in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and chronic schizophrenia at different stages.

Methods: Cognitive function tests were performed on chronic schizophrenic patients who took olanzapine for a long time, first-episode drug-free schizophrenic patients, and healthy controls.

Results: There were significant differences in the digit span test, Stroop color and word test, auditory verbal learning test N2, N3, N4, trail-making test, verbal fluency test, and clock drawing test between first-episode drug-free schizophrenic patients and healthy controls (p < 0.05). Compared with patients with chronic schizophrenia, there were significant differences in the digit span test, Stroop color and word test B, auditory verbal learning test, trail making test B, and clock drawing test in patients with first-episode schizophrenia after 4 weeks of olanzapine treatment (p < 0.05). Compared with patients with chronic schizophrenia after 4 weeks of Ziprasidone treatment, patients with first-episode schizophrenia had significant differences in the digit span test, Stroop color, and word test, auditory verbal learning test N3, and clock drawing test after 4 weeks of olanzapine treatment (p < 0.05). Compared with patients with chronic schizophrenia who were treated with Ziprasidone for 12 weeks, there were significant differences in Stroop color and word test A, auditory verbal learning test N3, and clock drawing test in patients with first-episode schizophrenia after 4 weeks of olanzapine treatment (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Patients with schizophrenia have cognitive dysfunction in the early stage of onset. The combination of ziprasidone and olanzapine can effectively improve cognitive dysfunction and promote the recovery of social functions of patients.