Updated February 16, 2021
Research Spotlight
Primates typically use two front-facing eyes to perceive a singular view of the world. This singular view is often achieved either by fusing the images seen by each eye or by suppressing one of the eyes’ images. Neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus receive direct inputs from only one eye. Dougherty et al. show that when neurons receive direct inputs from an eye viewing an image that is much weaker than what the other eye views, spiking responses are suppressed, suggesting binocular interactions occur at this pre-cortical site.
Erythropoietin Stimulates GABAergic Maturation in the Mouse Hippocampus
Several neurodevelopmental disorders are linked to impairment in the GABAergic system, and therapies to stimulate its development are lacking. The hormone erythropoietin (EPO) is clinically used to mitigate brain injury, yet it is unclear whether it can also stimulate the maturation of the GABAergic system. Khalid, Frei et al. show that augmented EPO levels in the mouse brain can stimulate the maturation of the GABAergic system in the hippocampus, by increasing neuronal survival, and network stimulation. This data supports EPO’s clinical use to balance GABAergic dysfunction during development.
Interactions between serotonergic and dopaminergic neurons modulate adaptive behaviors. A small subset of brain serotonergic neurons are themselves modulated by dopamine through expression of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2). Lyon et al. show that Drd2 gene expression is required in these serotonergic neurons for normal levels of defensive, protective behavioral responses that include auditory startle processing in females and social dominance interactions in males. Related behaviors in humans too show sex differences, suggesting translational relevance of the reported molecular, cellular, and circuit findings.
Electrophysiological Frequency Band Ratio Measures Conflate Periodic and Aperiodic Neural Activity
Investigations of electrical neural activity often focus on measures computed within specific frequency ranges, including ratios computed across these frequency regions. Such measures are used and interpreted as relating to rhythmic activity in the data, reflecting neural oscillations. However, Donoghue et al. show how frequency band ratio measures of neural data are often driven by non-rhythmic activity, and so can not be directly interpreted as reflecting neural oscillations. The authors show this by comparing ratio measures to parameterizations of the neural power spectrum, which offers a new way to measures and separate both rhythmic and non-rhythmic activity.
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