Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience最新文献

Homosexuality is an intricate and multifactorial phenomenon affected by the interaction of biological, genetic, neurological and environmental factors. This paper examines the interplay of homosexuality determinants. Biological determinants such as the role of androgen levels, the fraternal birth order effect and maternal immune response contribute to shaping sexual orientation. Additionally, genetic influences are also assessed. These include the potential role of X chromosome, the possible link of fragile X mental retardation neighbor gene (FMR1) to sexual orientation, the function of genetic variants such as COMT an MTHFR, as well as connection with chromosomes 7, 8, 13 and 14. Furthermore, neurologic factors such as the role of the hypothalamus are assessed to highlight their contribution to sexual preference and attraction mediation. Lastly, childhood gender nonconformity and early exposure to traumatic events are among the environmental influences that contribute to the development of homosexuality. By incorporating various perspectives, this paper seeks to present a thorough overview of the multiple factors influencing sexual orientation, while emphasizing the importance of ongoing interdisciplinary research in this area.

Introduction: Emerging evidence suggests that exercise-induced fatigue negatively affects nervous system function, yet effective mitigation strategies are limited. This study aimed to determine whether intranasal methylene blue (MB) could prevent neurological deficits induced by exhaustive exercise in a rat model.

Methods: We utilized a rat exhaustive exercise training paradigm. Animal body weight was monitored, and a battery of behavioral tests was conducted to evaluate locomotor activity, anxiety-like behaviors, and spatial learning and memory. At the cellular level, we assessed neuron loss, apoptosis, synaptic proteins, myelin sheath, gliosis, and mitochondrial morphology in the hippocampal CA1 region and the striatum.

Results: Rats subjected to exhaustive exercise exhibited reduced locomotor activity, increased anxiety-like behaviors, and impaired spatial memory. This was associated with significant neuron loss, activation of apoptotic pathways, loss of synaptic proteins and myelin sheath, gliosis, and compromised mitochondrial morphology in the hippocampus and striatum. Notably, intranasal MB treatment significantly rescued these neuronal damages and improved performance in behavioral tests.

Discussion: Our findings demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of intranasal MB against exhaustive exercise-induced neurological deficits. This suggests that MB is a promising therapeutic agent for preventing the adverse neurological consequences of extreme physical exertion.

Background: Cognitive deficits are frequently observed in individuals with Substance use disorders (SUD) and have been linked to poorer treatment outcomes and a heightened risk of relapse. We aimed to study the effectiveness of a 6-week virtual reality-based cognitive training program (VRainSUD-VR) on neuropsychological outcomes, specifically memory, executive functioning, and processing speed, as well as on treatment dropout rates in individuals with SUD. We hypothesized that adding VRainSUD-VR to treatment as usual (TAU) would lead to greater cognitive improvements compared to TAU alone. As a secondary hypothesis, we expected VRainSUD-VR to reduce false memories relative to TAU.

Methods: A non-randomized design with a control group, pre- and post-test assessments, and convenience sampling was employed. Patients (N = 47) were assigned to either the control group (CG), which received TAU (n = 22), or the experimental group (EG), which received VRainSUD-VR in addition to TAU (n = 25). Cognitive and treatment outcomes (e.g., dropout rates) were assessed at pre- and post-test.

Results: Statistically significant time × group interactions were found for overall executive functioning [F _{(1, 75)} = 20.05, p < 0.001] and global memory [F _{(1, 75)} = 36.42, p < 0.001], indicating the effectiveness of VRainSUD-VR. No significant time × group interactions were found for most processing speed outcomes (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: VRainSUD-VR could be integrated into residential programs to improve general executive functioning, perceptual reasoning, and working memory, including visual working memory, as well as different aspects of global memory, such as visual, auditory, immediate, and delayed recall. Future research should explore the long-term effects of this intervention and consider additional potential mediating factors to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying its effectiveness.

Introduction: Stress-related disorders, such as major depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, lead to considerable disease burden and are notoriously difficult to treat. These disorders are characterized by striking sex differences, but the neurobiological underpinnings of the disparities in mental health between men and women remain largely undefined. With an improved understanding of the biological factors that promote or protect against psychopathology, it may become possible to design interventions that enhance resilience. Preclinical research using rodent models can provide fundamental insight into potential sex differences in the neurobiological consequences of stress, which could have important implications for our understanding of stress-related disorders.

Methods: Towards this end, the current work compared stress-induced alterations in DNA methylation and behavior in male and female c57BL/6 mice. A subchronic stress paradigm consisting of five days of mild stressors was used, and behavioral outcomes were assessed using the elevated plus maze and the light-dark emergence, open field, forced swim and effort-related reward choice tests.

Results: Statistical analyses using two-way ANOVAs revealed that although some of the effects of stress in the light-dark emergence test were specific to females, both sexes were susceptible to several behavioral consequences of this stress paradigm. Stress was also shown to decrease global DNA methylation in the nucleus accumbens one week following the end of stress exposure in both sexes, but no significant effects were observed two hours following stress. In the hippocampus, no global DNA methylation differences were observed at either time point. Targeted evaluations using methylation-specific PCR revealed sex differences in stress-induced changes in DNA methylation at sites in the prodynorphin and inhibitory kappa B kinase beta genes in the nucleus accumbens. In contrast, no significant sex-by-stress interactions were observed for methylation changes in the hippocampus, although stress significantly increased DNA methylation of prodynorphin and inhibitory kappa B kinase beta two hours after the final stress exposure and reduced methylation of the NEMO and D2 dopamine receptor genes one week following stress.

Discussion: Overall, these findings provide further evidence of sex differences in stress susceptibility and suggest that sex differences in epigenetic adaptations to stress could contribute to the partially distinct behavioral outcomes of stress in males and females.

Scents can influence anxiety, including that experienced in clinical environments. This study examined the effects of two distinct aromas: lavender, a fragrance widely recognized for its calming properties, and African stone, a musky and relatively unfamiliar scent. Twenty healthy participants underwent alternating periods of rest and scent inhalation in a dental office environment while anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of theta, alpha, and beta power ratios, and electrocardiographic (ECG) measures of heart rate variability (HRV). Lavender inhalation significantly reduced self-reported state anxiety scores but did not produce measurable changes in EEG or HRV indices, possibly due to the short (5 min) exposure duration. African stone, in contrast, did not alter self-reported anxiety but induced significant physiological effects, including reduced theta and, increased alpha power in parieto-occipital regions, and decreased high-frequency (HF) and total HRV power. While the EEG changes are consistent with a more relaxed state, the HRV reductions could indicate a heightened autonomic arousal, suggesting that African stone could have triggered increased attention and physiological activation rather than merely relaxation. These findings demonstrate a divergence between subjective and physiological responses to scent exposure. Lavender appears to primarily reduce perceived anxiety, while African stone influences physiological arousal. We suggest that a multimodal approach be applied in aromatherapy research.

Polyvagal theory (PVT) offers an integrative model of autonomic regulation that accounts for the evolution, neuroanatomy, and functional organization of the vagus nerve in relation to behavioral and emotional processes. This article revisits PVT by synthesizing its scientific foundations with recent advancements in transcriptomics, neurophysiology, and clinical application. Particular emphasis is placed on the theory's hierarchical model of the autonomic nervous system, the role of the ventral vagal complex in social behavior, and the construct of neuroception-the neural process by which safety and threat are detected without conscious awareness. The discussion incorporates both theoretical refinement and empirical validation while addressing common misconceptions and critiques of the model. In addition to the scientific narrative, the author offers a personal perspective on the intellectual and experiential origins of PVT, illustrating its translational value in clinical and therapeutic settings. By combining rigorous science with experiential insight, this article seeks to advance understanding of the autonomic foundations of social behavior and mental health.

Most neuropsychiatric conditions, including neurodevelopmental disorders, can have different etiology depending on genetic influences, environmental factors, and gene-environment interactions. Consistent evidence points to low birth weight, commonly associated with prenatal exposure to excess glucocorticoids (GC), as risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, ADHD and schizophrenia. In this review we give an overview of our behavioral and mechanistic studies linking prenatal exposure to GC to depression. The behavioral analyses in our mouse model revealed that prenatal exposure to synthetic GC dexamethasone (DEX) alters hippocampal neurogenesis and induces depression-like behavior that responds differently to antidepressive therapies. Using neural progenitor cells as an in vitro experimental model, we could show changes in the methylation state of genes regulating proliferation, differentiation, and migration suggesting that epigenetic modifications are involved in neurogenesis alterations induced by GC. A particularly interesting observation was the alteration in circadian patterns of activity accompanied by weaker coupling between the central clock and peripheral oscillators preceding the late onset of depression in mice exposed to DEX in utero. The results suggest that alterations in patterns of circadian spontaneous activity may predict the onset of depression and the response to therapy in depressed patients. Our collaborative clinical investigations provide evidence for the prognostic value of circadian activity analysis in predicting the response to antidepressant treatments in patients affected by major depressive disorder.

Introduction: A key skill useful in everyday life is learning from our past choices to overcome cognitive biases and cope with our environment. In this regard, we are often responsible not only for ourselves but also for others.

Methods: As our previous results showed that after excitatory stimulation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) people improved risk weighing and reduced their cognitive biases via improved affective learning, here we examined whether the above results differ when participants are playing for themselves versus for someone else. Therefore, we added this experimental manipulation to our previously well-validated gambling paradigm.

Results: We found that participants showed improved learning after excitatory stimulation when playing for themselves but not when playing for someone else. At the neural level, we observed interaction effects involving the stimulation (inhibitory vs. excitatory), the frame (gain vs. loss) and the recipient (self vs. other) in prefrontal, temporal and parietal areas during the decision-making and feedback phase.

Discussion: Our results suggest that excitatory vmPFC-tDCS can facilitate gambling and enhance the neural processing of gambling-related stimuli when playing for oneself.

Motivated behaviors, such as reproduction and feeding, are essential for mammalian survival. Although these behaviors serve distinct evolutionary purposes, they share a common function: fulfilling specific biological needs. Their regulation involves distinct brain regions and is influenced by a complex interplay of neural circuits, with significant sex-based differences. Alterations in motivation represent critical components of effort-based decision-making processes in eating disorders (EDs). Importantly, the impairments in motivated behavior observed in EDs arise not from structural changes within the relevant brain regions but rather from functional alterations influenced primarily by gonadal hormones. These hormones play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of EDs, driving sex-based differences in both the qualitative aspects of symptom presentation and developmental trajectories through intracellular genomic signaling pathways. The current review examines sex differences in motivated behavior within the context of EDs.