Research reveals that REM sleep deprivation disrupts brain connectivity, with the thalamus playing a key role in sensory information relay and REM sleep regulation.

Researchers found that high-dose psilocybin significantly disrupts brain functional connectivity, particularly in the default mode network, with lasting effects linked to therapeutic benefits.

Dissociated neuronal cultures on High-Density Multi-Electrode Arrays (HD-MEAs) provide a controllable in vitro platform to systematically investigate the formation, development, and functioning of neu...

The right subiculum, middle temporal, and frontal gyrus process both pain and cognition.

Cognitive functions emerge from the dynamic interplay of distributed, large-scale brain networks. Functional connectivity (FC) reflects stable brain organization and general cognitive abilities, while...

Neurensin-2 (Nrsn2) is a neuro-specific gene linked to neurodevelopmental disorders and has recently been reported to function as a bidirectional emotional regulator, highlighting its molecular roles in the nervous system. However, the connections between Nrsn2, brain architecture, and functionality remain to be fully elucidated. Our study utilized 11.7 T multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the impact of Nrsn2 gene knockout on the brain’s microstructure, regional functional activity, and network connectivity during different developmental phases in mice. We observed significant changes in the functional brain network connectivity of Nrsn2−/− mice without marked differences in brain microstructure or regional activity. These changes were particularly pronounced in sensory-related areas, such as the gustatory and auditory systems, in both juvenile and adult specimens. Previous studies have correlated the enhanced Default Mode Network (DMN) with depression, and Nrsn2 knockout has been associated with stress resilience. Our findings further revealed reduced connectivity in various DMN regions in adult Nrsn2−/− mice, suggesting a potential link to increased stress tolerance. Moreover, the sensory system’s critical role in environmental perception implies that alterations in network connectivity due to Nrsn2 knockout could affect the processing and integration of external inputs, thereby influencing emotional experiences.

With the ongoing consideration of the diagnostic criteria for mental disorders that is active in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and International Classification of D...

npj Mental Health Research - Functional connectivity-related changes underlying mindfulness meditation for internet gaming disorder: a randomized clinical trial

YouTube video by Greenhouse for Mental Health Development

Abstract. Motivation is an important feature of emotion. By driving approach to positive events and promoting avoidance of negative stimuli, motivation drives adaptive actions and goal pursuit. The amygdala has been associated with a variety of affective processes, particularly the appraisal of stimulus valence that is assumed to play a crucial role in the generation of approach and avoidance behaviors. Here, we measured amygdala functional connectivity patterns while participants played a video game manipulating goal conduciveness through the presence of good, neutral, or bad monsters. As expected, good versus bad monsters elicited opposing motivated behaviors, whereby good monsters induced more approach and bad monsters triggered more avoidance. These opposing directional behaviors were paralleled by increased connectivity between the amygdala and medial brain areas, such as the OFC and posterior cingulate, for good relative to bad, and between amygdala and caudate for bad relative to good monsters. Moreover, in both conditions, individual connectivity strength between the amygdala and medial prefrontal regions was positively correlated with brain scores from a latent component representing efficient goal pursuit, which was identified by a partial least squares analysis determining the multivariate association between amygdala connectivity and behavioral motivation indices during gameplay. At the brain level, this latent component highlighted a widespread pattern of amygdala connectivity, including a dorsal frontoparietal network and motor areas. These results suggest that amygdala-medial prefrontal interactions captured the overall subjective relevance of ongoing events, which could consecutively drive the engagement of attentional, executive, and motor circuits necessary for implementing successful goal-pursuit, irrespective of approach or avoidance directions.