Science · Neuroscience
how does astrocyte calcium signaling influence cortical information processing?
Cortical information processing emerges from interactions between neurons and glia. Astrocytes contribute through calcium signaling, a dynamic intracellular rise in calcium that links local synaptic activity to broader network states.
how variable are mesoscale cortical connectivity patterns across individuals?
Cortical organization at the mesoscale—patterns of connectivity among cortical columns and local networks—shows a mix of conserved architecture and notable individual differences. Neuroimaging and invasive mapping converge on the conclusion
how does sleep-dependent glymphatic clearance affect amyloid accumulation?
The brain’s waste-removal network depends on sleep to move cerebrospinal fluid through perivascular spaces and flush extracellular metabolites. Pioneering work by Maiken Nedergaard University of Rochester identified the glymphatic system
what mechanisms determine critical period timing in sensory cortex?
Sensory cortex critical periods open and close through coordinated molecular, circuit, and environmental signals that gate experience-dependent plasticity. Classic experiments on ocular dominance by David Hubel at Harvard Medical School
how do neuromodulators alter sensory cortical receptive fields during attention?
Neuromodulators reshape sensory cortical receptive fields by changing the balance of excitation and inhibition, shifting tuning preferences, and promoting plasticity so that neurons preferentially represent attended stimuli. Key modulators include
which neurotransmitter systems modulate decision-making under acute stress?
Acute stress recruits multiple interacting neurochemical systems that reshape decision-making by altering arousal, valuation, and executive control. Core players include the noradrenergic system from the locus coeruleus, the dopaminergic reward
how does synaptic plasticity contribute to memory formation?
Synaptic change is the biological substrate by which experience becomes memory. At the cellular level, synaptic plasticity refers to activity-dependent alterations in the strength or efficacy of connections between neurons.
which cellular mechanisms regulate adult neurogenesis rates?
Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus and the subventricular zone is regulated by a complex interplay of cellular mechanisms that control stem cell quiescence, proliferation, differentiation, survival, and integration. These mechanisms
do neural oscillations coordinate interregional communication?
Neural oscillations are rhythmic fluctuations in neuronal activity that help organize when neurons fire. A large body of theoretical work and empirical studies supports the view that these rhythms do
how does myelination change during adolescent brain development?
Adolescence is marked by continuing growth in the brain's myelination, a process that wraps axons in insulating layers to speed neural signaling. Magnetic resonance imaging studies show a steady increase