Midbrain ≈ Midbrain
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Cerebellar modulation of the reward circuitry and social behavior Open
The cerebellum and reward-driven behavior Damage to the cerebellum manifests itself in various forms of cognitive impairment and abnormal social behavior. However, the exact role the cerebellum plays in these conditions is far from clear. …
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Freeze for action: neurobiological mechanisms in animal and human freezing Open
Upon increasing levels of threat, animals activate qualitatively different defensive modes, including freezing and active fight-or-flight reactions. Whereas freezing is a form of behavioural inhibition accompanied by parasympathetically do…
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Dopamine reward prediction error coding Open
Reward prediction errors consist of the differences between received and predicted rewards. They are crucial for basic forms of learning about rewards and make us strive for more rewards-an evolutionary beneficial trait. Most dopamine neur…
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Single-cell sequencing of human midbrain reveals glial activation and a Parkinson-specific neuronal state Open
Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, but the exact disease aetiology remains largely unknown. To date, Parkinson’s disease research has mainly focused on nigral dopaminergic neurons…
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Single-cell genomic profiling of human dopamine neurons identifies a population that selectively degenerates in Parkinson’s disease Open
The loss of dopamine (DA) neurons within the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) is a defining pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nevertheless, the molecular features associated with DA neuron vulnerability have not yet b…
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Single-cell atlas of early human brain development highlights heterogeneity of human neuroepithelial cells and early radial glia Open
The human cortex comprises diverse cell types that emerge from an initially uniform neuroepithelium that gives rise to radial glia, the neural stem cells of the cortex. To characterize the earliest stages of human brain development, we per…
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Derivation of Human Midbrain-Specific Organoids from Neuroepithelial Stem Cells Open
Research on human brain development and neurological diseases is limited by the lack of advanced experimental in vitro models that truly recapitulate the complexity of the human brain. Here, we describe a robust human brain organoid system…
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Striatal dopamine neurotransmission: Regulation of release and uptake Open
Dopamine (DA) transmission is governed by processes that regulate release from axonal boutons in the forebrain and the somatodendritic compartment in midbrain, and by clearance by the DA transporter, diffusion, and extracellular metabolism…
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Generation of a whole-brain atlas for the cholinergic system and mesoscopic projectome analysis of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons Open
Significance The cholinergic system plays a critical role in neural modulation of the mammalian brain. Here, we generated a comprehensive atlas of the cholinergic system in the mouse brain via the whole-brain imaging and reconstruction sys…
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Cellular diversity in the Drosophila midbrain revealed by single-cell transcriptomics Open
To understand the brain, molecular details need to be overlaid onto neural wiring diagrams so that synaptic mode, neuromodulation and critical signaling operations can be considered. Single-cell transcriptomics provide a unique opportunity…
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Single-cell transcriptomes and whole-brain projections of serotonin neurons in the mouse dorsal and median raphe nuclei Open
Serotonin neurons of the dorsal and median raphe nuclei (DR, MR) collectively innervate the entire forebrain and midbrain, modulating diverse physiology and behavior. To gain a fundamental understanding of their molecular heterogeneity, we…
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Modeling Parkinson’s disease in midbrain-like organoids Open
Modeling Parkinson’s disease (PD) using advanced experimental in vitro models is a powerful tool to study disease mechanisms and to elucidate unexplored aspects of this neurodegenerative disorder. Here, we demonstrate that three-dimensiona…
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Reward Dependent Invigoration Relates to Theta Oscillations and Is Predicted by Dopaminergic Midbrain Integrity in Healthy Elderly Open
Motivation can have invigorating effects on behavior via dopaminergic neuromodulation. While this relationship has mainly been established in theoretical models and studies in younger subjects, the impact of structural declines of the dopa…
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Activation of -Glucocerebrosidase Reduces Pathological -Synuclein and Restores Lysosomal Function in Parkinson's Patient Midbrain Neurons Open
The presence of Lewy body inclusions comprised of fibrillar α-syn within affected regions of PD brain has been firmly documented, however no treatments exist that are capable of clearing Lewy bodies. Here, we used a mechanistic-based appro…
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Striatal and Tegmental Neurons Code Critical Signals for Temporal-Difference Learning of State Value in Domestic Chicks Open
To ensure survival, animals must update the internal representations of their environment in a trial-and-error fashion. Psychological studies of associative learning and neurophysiological analyses of dopaminergic neurons have suggested th…
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Evidence of degraded representation of speech in noise, in the aging midbrain and cortex Open
Humans have a remarkable ability to track and understand speech in unfavorable conditions, such as in background noise, but speech understanding in noise does deteriorate with age. Results from several studies have shown that in younger ad…
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Insects have the capacity for subjective experience Open
To what degree are non-human animals conscious? We propose that the most meaningful way to approach this question is from the perspective of functional neurobiology. Here we focus on subjective experience, which is a basic awareness of the…
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Periaqueductal Gray Neuronal Activities Underlie Different Aspects of Defensive Behaviors Open
Defense is crucial for animals' survival in nature. Here, using optogenetic stimulation and in vivo recording in behaving mice reacting to threats, we explored the role of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) in defense. We show that opt…
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Representation of spontaneous movement by dopaminergic neurons is cell-type selective and disrupted in parkinsonism Open
Significance Deciphering the roles of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the control of movement is critical not only for understanding of normal motor function but also for defining the basis of motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. How…
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A Motor Theory of Sleep-Wake Control: Arousal-Action Circuit Open
Wakefulness, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and non–rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep are characterized by distinct electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), and autonomic profiles. The circuit mechanism coordinating these changes d…
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Hypothalamic regulation of headache and migraine Open
Background The clinical picture, but also neuroimaging findings, suggested the brainstem and midbrain structures as possible driving or generating structures in migraine. Findings This has been intensely discussed in the last decades and t…
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Rethinking dopamine as generalized prediction error Open
Midbrain dopamine neurons are commonly thought to report a reward prediction error (RPE), as hypothesized by reinforcement learning (RL) theory. While this theory has been highly successful, several lines of evidence suggest that dopamine …
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Prenatal activity from thalamic neurons governs the emergence of functional cortical maps in mice Open
Brain map of touch sensation The brain's somatosensory cortex contains a topographical map that reflects touch sensation inputs. During embryonic development, axons from the midbrain thalamus build columnar connections to the cortex in the…
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Perception of Verticality and Vestibular Disorders of Balance and Falls Open
Objective: To review current knowledge of the perception of verticality, its normal function and disorders. This is based on an integrative graviceptive input from the vertical semicircular canals and the otolith organs. Methods: The speci…
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Regionally progressive accumulation of iron in Parkinson's disease as measured by quantitative susceptibility mapping Open
The progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) seems to vary according to the disease stage, which greatly influences the management of PD patients. However, the underlying mechanism of progression in PD remains unclear. This study was design…
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The Mouse Superior Colliculus: An Emerging Model for Studying Circuit Formation and Function Open
The superior colliculus (SC) is a midbrain area where visual, auditory and somatosensory information are integrated to initiate motor commands. The SC plays a central role in visual information processing in the mouse; it receives projecti…
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Millifluidic culture improves human midbrain organoid vitality and differentiation Open
The use of millifluidics technology for human midbrain organoid cultures reduces central cell death and increases dopaminergic neuron differentiation.
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Altered Excitability and Local Connectivity of mPFC-PAG Neurons in a Mouse Model of Neuropathic Pain Open
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a major role in both sensory and affective aspects of pain. There is extensive evidence that chronic pain produces functional changes within the mPFC. However, our understanding of local circuit ch…
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Stress Accelerates Defensive Responses to Looming in Mice and Involves a Locus Coeruleus-Superior Colliculus Projection Open
Defensive responses to threatening stimuli are crucial to the survival of species. While expression of these responses is considered to be instinctive and unconditional, their magnitude may be affected by environmental and internal factors…
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Expression of functional cannabinoid CB <sub>2</sub> receptor in VTA dopamine neurons in rats Open
We have recently reported the expression of functional cannabinoid CB 2 receptors (CB 2 Rs) in midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons in mice. However, little is known whether CB 2 Rs are similarly expressed in rat brain because significant specie…