Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews最新文献

The beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplementation during pregnancy have been associated with reduced risk of preterm birth and low birthweight. However, inconsistent findings have been reported regarding their impact on children's neurodevelopmental trajectories. We performed a comprehensive systematic review with meta-analysis of preclinical studies to assess the effects of prenatal omega-3 supplementation on long-term outcomes in offspring and to identify key relevant neurodevelopmental domains to guide the design and prioritization of future clinical follow-up studies. The databases consulted included PubMed/Medline, Scopus and Web of Science. Thirty-five studies were included in the systematic review, and 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Relevant information such as characteristics of nutritional interventions, maternal conditions, offspring characteristics and article attributes were extracted. Sample sizes, means, and standard deviation or standard error for the outcome measures were also extracted. The search yielded 3,198 articles; 35 met inclusion criteria, with 11 included in a random-effects meta-analysis of memory retention, and 8 in a meta-analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Our findings show that maternal omega-3 PUFA supplementation during pregnancy improves memory retention (SMD=0.671; CI 95%: 0.163-1.179; p=0.010) and increases levels of BDNF (SMD=0.838; CI 95%: 0.369-1.307; p=0.000) in the offspring. These effects are more pronounced in offspring exposed to prenatal adversities. Maternal omega-3 supplementation shows promise in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation, although findings remain heterogeneous. Maternal omega-3 supplementation appears as a safe and effective means to improve offspring neurodevelopment, with stronger effects under adverse gestational conditions, highlighting its potential for at-risk populations.

The study of imagination has progressed due to its operationalization through a variety of behavioural tasks, initially designed for human participants and later adapted to non-human animals. However, this behavioural data has proven insufficient for inferring the level and scope of imagination in animals. To better understand human imagination, and its possible manifestations in animals, we trace here the evolutionary origin of the default mode network (DMN), which is central to human imagination. We show that the evolution of the DMN involved significant neural innovations at the base of the mammalian lineage: the emergence of the neocortex and a substantial reorganization of the hippocampus. These two structures underwent parallel evolution, including the emergence of a 3D organization, the establishment of a canonical microcircuit, a significant development of pyramidal neurons, and the emergence of dedicated compartments of granular neurons. We suggest that previous studies have underestimated the importance of hippocampal modifications in shaping the mammalian brain, especially considering its central role in studies of memory consolidation, replay and human imagination more generally. Looking beyond mammals, we expect to find a functionally similar network in birds, convergent with the mammalian DMN. We end with a discussion of findings that could be construed as indicators of imagination within and outside the mammalian clade and the relations of our extraordinary human imagination to language.

The association between testosterone and risk-taking behavior has been widely investigated across behavioral economics, neuroendocrinology, and social neuroscience, but empirical results remain inconsistent. To clarify this relationship, we conducted a multilevel random-effects meta-analysis of 52 empirical studies (94 independent effect sizes; total N = 17,340), the most comprehensive so far, examining correlations between testosterone levels or manipulations and risk preferences across diverse paradigms. The aggregated effect was statistically null (r = -0.0021, 95% CI [-0.0431, 0.0389], p = .919), indicating no reliable link between testosterone and risk-taking. Publication bias diagnostics (trim-and-fill and fail-safe N) suggested that this null effect is not driven by selective reporting. Meta-regressions revealed significant heterogeneity across testosterone measurement type. Moreover, only lottery-based economic tasks showed a modest positive association, whereas other paradigms (e.g., BART, IGT, self-report) did not. A separate meta-analysis of sex differences found no moderating effect, suggesting that testosterone-risk correlations are not reliably stronger in males than females. Overall, the evidence challenges the notion that testosterone provides a general hormonal basis for human risk preferences. Instead, findings support a biopsychosocial framework in which "risk taking" reflects the interaction of task demands, cognitive-affective processes, and situational context, with endocrine effects appearing narrow, context-dependent, and method-specific. Future work should employ preregistered, multi-measure designs and direct endocrine assays to test mechanistic pathways more precisely.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has renewed interest in the relationship between immunity and cognition. Despite decades of work, the impact of viral exposure, mainly in the field of HIV, herpes and hepatitis infections, on distinct cognitive processes remains unclear, as most studies use global screening tools (e.g., MoCA) in isolation in each infectious context. This systematic narrative review adopts a transnosological approach, summarizing previously reported immune-cognition relationships across viral infections. Of 931 studies, 32 met inclusion criteria (N=25,325) spanning SARS-CoV-2, HIV, herpes, hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus, and multiple infections. Reported studies on immuno-cognitive relationships reveal several consistent findings. Elevated circulating CD14⁺CD16⁺ intermediate monocytes correlated with slower processing speed, reduced episodic memory and mental flexibility. Higher CD4⁺ T cells were associated with better processing efficiency, while reduced T cells and B cells levels together with elevated IgG predicted deficits in memory and attention. Most proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ) were associated with impairments in overlapping cognitive domains (e.g., memory), whereas IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, consistently supported executive and memory performance.

The supramammillary nucleus (SuM), a ventromedial structure of the posterior hypothalamus, has long been viewed primarily as a pacemaker for hippocampal theta rhythms. Recent discoveries, however, reveal pronounced cellular heterogeneity within the SuM and demonstrate that distinct neuronal subpopulations engage projection-defined pathways to shape hippocampal dynamics, septo-hippocampal state regulation, and broader limbic processing. Through these mechanisms, SuM activity influences adult hippocampal neurogenesis, memory encoding and retrieval, affective regulation, and behavioral state transitions in a context-dependent manner. Rather than acting as a uniform modulatory source, the SuM appears to integrate internal state signals, including arousal, metabolic, and motivational cues, and route them through parallel output channels to exert coordinated control over cognitive and emotional functions. Here, we synthesize recent advances in SuM cellular diversity, intrinsic microcircuit logic, and long-range connectivity, and propose a unifying framework in which the SuM operates as a systems-level hub whose dysregulation may contribute to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. This perspective highlights both conceptual gaps in current understanding and emerging opportunities for pathway-informed neuromodulation strategies.