Focus 26 January 2021

From brain to behaviour

The aim of this page is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work on the brain published in Nature Communications. We cover a wide variety of areas and organisms, ranging from neurophysiological and neurodevelopmental studies in model organisms to systems neuroscience to cognitive neuroscience and psychology.

Featured articles

Disrupting the α-synuclein-ESCRT interaction with a peptide inhibitor mitigates neurodegeneration in preclinical models of Parkinson’s disease

ESCRT-III is involved in the endolysosomal system and disturbed in neurodegenerative diseases. Here the authors show that disruption of an interaction between ESCRT-III member CHMP2B and α-synuclein by a peptide inhibitor mitigates neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease models.
- Satra Nim
- Darren M. O’Hara
- Philip M. Kim
ArticleOpen Access19 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Distinct astrocytic modulatory roles in sensory transmission during sleep, wakefulness, and arousal states in freely moving mice

The contribution of astrocytic Ca²⁺ signaling to the modulation of sensory transmission in different brain states remains largely unknown. Here, the authors show two types of Ca²⁺ signals in the mouse barrel cortex with distinct function in sensory transmission during sleep and arousal states.
- Fushun Wang
- Wei Wang
- Jason H. Huang
ArticleOpen Access17 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Glucocerebrosidase is imported into mitochondria and preserves complex I integrity and energy metabolism

GBA1 mutations cause Gaucher’s disease and are the strongest risk factor for Parkinson’s disease. Using stable cell lines and patient iPSCs, the authors show mitochondrial localization of GBA1, which may affect neurodegenerative disease risk.
- Pascale Baden
- Maria Jose Perez
- Michela Deleidi
ArticleOpen Access6 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Unselfish traits and social decision-making patterns characterize six populations of real-world extraordinary altruists

Here, the authors show that real-world extraordinary altruists, including heroic rescuers and altruistic kidney donors, are distinguished by unusually unselfish traits and decision-making patterns. This pattern was not predicted by a general sample of adults who were asked what traits would characterize altruists.
- Shawn A. Rhoads
- Kruti M. Vekaria
- Abigail A. Marsh
ArticleOpen Access31 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
Rescue of astrocyte activity by the calcium sensor STIM1 restores long-term synaptic plasticity in female mice modelling Alzheimer’s disease

Altered Ca²⁺ signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Here, the authors show Ca²⁺ hypoactivity in astrocytes at plaque deposition onset related to reduced expression of the Ca²⁺ sensor STIM1 and impaired synaptic plasticity that was rescued by STIM1 overexpression in astrocytes.
- Annamaria Lia
- Gabriele Sansevero
- Micaela Zonta
ArticleOpen Access22 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
Characterisation of ASD traits among a cohort of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly

Isolated fetal ventriculomegaly is the most common antenatally-diagnosed brain abnormality. Here, the authors show that isolated fetal ventriculomegaly is associated with autism spectrum disorder traits.
- Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Alice Davidson
- Mary A. Rutherford
ArticleOpen Access21 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
N-acetylneuraminic acid links immune exhaustion and accelerated memory deficit in diet-induced obese Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

Obesity and aging increase Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk. Here, using an AD mouse model and high-fat diet, we suggest that immune exhaustion links the two risk factors, and identify a metabolite that can hasten immune dysfunction and memory deficit.
- Stefano Suzzi
- Tommaso Croese
- Michal Schwartz
ArticleOpen Access9 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
Sleep cycle-dependent vascular dynamics in male mice and the predicted effects on perivascular cerebrospinal fluid flow and solute transport

Why fluid and solute transport in perivascular spaces is enhanced upon sleep remains elusive. Here, the authors show that each sleep cycle state displays unique perivascular dynamics, which enhances predicted fluid movement and solute transport.
- Laura Bojarskaite
- Alexandra Vallet
- Rune Enger
ArticleOpen Access20 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
Asymmetric activity of NetrinB controls laterality of the Drosophila brain

Brain asymmetry is widespread across species, but its function remains poorly understood. Here, the authors show that the Netrin axon guidance pathway is involved in building an asymmetric neural circuit important for long-term memory in Drosophila.
- F. Lapraz
- C. Boutres
- S. Noselli
ArticleOpen Access24 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
Abstract representations emerge naturally in neural networks trained to perform multiple tasks

How animals learn to generalize from one context to another remains unresolved. Here, the authors show that the abstract representations that are thought to underlie this form of generalization emerge naturally in neural networks trained to perform multiple tasks.
- W. Jeffrey Johnston
- Stefano Fusi
ArticleOpen Access23 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
An open label, non-randomized study assessing a prebiotic fiber intervention in a small cohort of Parkinson’s disease participants

This study found that a prebiotic intervention was well-tolerated and safe, beneficially changed the microbiome, decreased inflammation and a marker of neurodegeneration, with possible clinical effects in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. This study offers the rationale for further investigations using prebiotic fibers in PD.
- Deborah A. Hall
- Robin M. Voigt
- Ali Keshavarzian
ArticleOpen Access18 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
Optogenetic stimulation of anterior insular cortex neurons in male rats reveals causal mechanisms underlying suppression of the default mode network by the salience network

The salience network has been hypothesised to modulate default mode network activity during stimulus-driven cognition. Here, the authors show that in rats, stimulation of the anterior insular cortex, a key node of the salience network, suppresses the default mode network and decouples these networks, providing in vivo evidence of a causal role of the anterior insular cortex in brain network switching.
- Vinod Menon
- Domenic Cerri
- Yen-Yu Ian Shih
ArticleOpen Access16 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
Rapid and reversible optogenetic silencing of synaptic transmission by clustering of synaptic vesicles

Existing optogenetic silencing methods affect membrane potential, biochemistry or protein integrity. Here, the authors demonstrate an approach for silencing synaptic transmission that combines fast activation and reversibility, by using nondisruptive, reversible, light-evoked clustering of synaptic vesicles, which they validate in Caenorhabditis elegans, zebrafish, and murine cell culture.
- Dennis Vettkötter
- Martin Schneider
- Alexander Gottschalk
ArticleOpen Access19 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Neural mechanisms underlying the hierarchical construction of perceived aesthetic value

How the brain computes the value of complex stimuli such as visual art remains poorly understood. Here, the authors use computational models and fMRI to show that this process involves an integration over low- and high-level features across visual, parietal, and frontal cortical areas.
- Kiyohito Iigaya
- Sanghyun Yi
- John P. O’Doherty
ArticleOpen Access24 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
Synaptic basis of a sub-second representation of time in a neural circuit model

Neural circuit dynamics are thought to drive temporally precise actions. Here, the authors used a theoretical approach to show that synapses endowed with diverse short-term plasticity can act as tunable timers sufficient to generate rich neural dynamics.
- A. Barri
- M. T. Wiechert
- D. A. DiGregorio
ArticleOpen Access22 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Exposure to the Russian Internet Research Agency foreign influence campaign on Twitter in the 2016 US election and its relationship to attitudes and voting behavior

Here, using longitudinal survey and Twitter data, the authors examine the relationship between exposure to Russian Internet Research Agency activities on Twitter and voting behavior and attitudes in the 2016 US election.
- Gregory Eady
- Tom Paskhalis
- Joshua A. Tucker
ArticleOpen Access9 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
Providing normative information increases intentions to accept a COVID-19 vaccine

The authors show that accurate information about descriptive norms can increase intentions to accept a vaccine for COVID-19. They show that these effects are largely consistent in the 23 included countries and are concentrated among people who were otherwise uncertain about accepting a vaccine.
- Alex Moehring
- Avinash Collis
- Dean Eckles
ArticleOpen Access9 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
Transcriptional vulnerabilities of striatal neurons in human and rodent models of Huntington’s disease

In human and mouse models of Huntington’s disease, Matsushima, Pineda et al. show, using snRNAsequencing, the two axes defining identities of striatal projection neurons are multiplexed and differentially compromised, calling for distinct therapies.
- Ayano Matsushima
- Sergio Sebastian Pineda
- Ann M. Graybiel
ArticleOpen Access17 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
CSF1R inhibitors induce a sex-specific resilient microglial phenotype and functional rescue in a tauopathy mouse model

Tau-mediated neurodegeneration is driven by disease-activated microglia and suppressed by their pharmacological blockade. The authors identified drug dose- and sex-dependent residual microglial phenotypes, neuronal excitotoxicity, and animal survival.
- Noah R. Johnson
- Peng Yuan
- Carlo Condello
ArticleOpen Access9 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
Multimodal monitoring of human cortical organoids implanted in mice reveal functional connection with visual cortex

Neuronal organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells can be transplanted and integrated into the rodent cortex for the study of brain development and function. Here the authors demonstrate use of transparent graphene microelectrodes and two photon imaging for longitudinal, multimodal monitoring of functional connectivity between human iPSC derived neuronal organoids and the mouse cortex.
- Madison N. Wilson
- Martin Thunemann
- Duygu Kuzum
ArticleOpen Access26 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Huntington disease oligodendrocyte maturation deficits revealed by single-nucleus RNAseq are rescued by thiamine-biotin supplementation

Here the authors evaluate single cell gene expression from mouse and human Huntington’s disease brains, finding incomplete oligodendrocyte maturation and pathways involved. Treating mice with thiamine/biotin ameliorates molecular pathology.
- Ryan G. Lim
- Osama Al-Dalahmah
- Leslie M. Thompson
ArticleOpen Access21 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals diversity within mammalian spinal motor neurons

How molecular diversity in neurons links to versatile functions is elusive. Here the authors profiled embryonic spinal motor neurons with single-cell RNAseq and identified molecular subtypes targeting distinct muscle groups in different species.
- Ee Shan Liau
- Suoqin Jin
- Jun-An Chen
ArticleOpen Access3 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
TBX2 specifies and maintains inner hair and supporting cell fate in the Organ of Corti

Inner hair cells are essential for hearing but the molecular drivers of their differentiation have remained enigmatic. Here, the authors show that the transcription factor TBX2 has a key function in inducing and maintaining inner hair cell fate.
- Marina Kaiser
- Timo H. Lüdtke
- Mark-Oliver Trowe
ArticleOpen Access9 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Astrocytes amplify neurovascular coupling to sustained activation of neocortex in awake mice

Neuronal activity increases local cerebral blood flow (CBF) to satisfy metabolic demand, yet the role of astrocytes in this phenomenon is controversial. Here, the authors show that astrocytes amplify CBF only when neuronal activity is sustained.
- Adam Institoris
- Milène Vandal
- Grant R. Gordon
ArticleOpen Access22 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Cerebro-cerebellar networks facilitate learning through feedback decoupling

Behavioral feedback is critical for learning, but it is often not available. Here, the authors introduce a deep learning model in which the cerebellum provides the cerebrum with feedback predictions, thereby facilitating learning, reducing dysmetria, and making several experimental predictions.
- Ellen Boven
- Joseph Pemberton
- Rui Ponte Costa
ArticleOpen Access4 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
Experimental evidence for temporal uncoupling of brain Aβ deposition and neurodegenerative sequelae

The poor correlation between brain Aβ deposition and clinical symptoms in Alzheimer´s disease remains puzzling. Here, the authors show a temporal dissociation of Aβ deposition and neurodegeneration.
- Christine Rother
- Ruth E. Uhlmann
- Mathias Jucker
ArticleOpen Access28 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Amyloid-associated increases in soluble tau relate to tau aggregation rates and cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s disease

The interplay between amyloid and tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease is still not well understood. Here, the authors show that amyloid-related increased in soluble p-tau is related to subsequent accumulation of tau aggregates and cognitive decline in early stage of the disease.
- Alexa Pichet Binette
- Nicolai Franzmeier
- Oskar Hansson
ArticleOpen Access4 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Mapping the effects of pregnancy on resting state brain activity, white matter microstructure, neural metabolite concentrations and grey matter architecture

Animal studies have shown that pregnancy is associated with unique changes in the mammalian brain and behaviour, although pregnancy-associated changes in the human brain are less well studied. Here the authors show that pregnancy is associated with changes in resting state brain activity and brain anatomy which are most pronounced in the default mode network.
- Elseline Hoekzema
- Henk van Steenbergen
- Eveline A. Crone
ArticleOpen Access22 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Generalizable spelling using a speech neuroprosthesis in an individual with severe limb and vocal paralysis

Previous work has described a neuroprosthesis to directly decode full words in real time during attempts to speak. Here the authors demonstrate that a patient with anarthria can control this neuroprosthesis to spell out intended messages in real time using attempts to silently speak.
- Sean L. Metzger
- Jessie R. Liu
- Edward F. Chang
ArticleOpen Access8 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Erratic and blood vessel-guided migration of astrocyte progenitors in the cerebral cortex

During development, astrocytes are generated from radial glia, and migrate to the cortical plate, but the process of astrocyte migration during development is not fully understood. Here the authors labelled cells derived from the cortical ventricular zone in the late stages of cortical plate development in mice, and identified a migration mode in which cells move rapidly and almost at random within the intermediate zone and the cortical plate.
- Hidenori Tabata
- Megumi Sasaki
- Kazunori Nakajima
ArticleOpen Access2 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Rejuvenation of the aged brain immune cell landscape in mice through p16-positive senescent cell clearance

The authors discovered that proinflammatory senescent myeloid cells may recruit peripheral immune cells in the aged mouse brain. Their findings implicate senescent cell clearance as a strategy to counter aged brain inflammation and cognitive decline.
- Xu Zhang
- Vesselina M. Pearsall
- Marissa J. Schafer
ArticleOpen Access27 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Deficiency of the frontotemporal dementia gene GRN results in gangliosidosis

Progranulin-deficieny results in gangliosidosis due to reduced lysosomal lipids (BMP) required for ganglioside degradation. Lysosomal ganglioside accumulation may contribute to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration susceptibility observed in FTD.
- Sebastian Boland
- Sharan Swarup
- Robert V. Farese Jr
ArticleOpen Access7 Oct 2022 Nature Communications
Single cell atlas of spinal cord injury in mice reveals a pro-regenerative signature in spinocerebellar neurons

Matson et al. performed single nucleus sequencing of the “spared” spinal cord tissue distal to an injury in mice. They found that spinocerebellar neurons expressed a pro-regenerative gene signature and showed axon outgrowth after injury.
- Kaya J. E. Matson
- Daniel E. Russ
- Ariel J. Levine
ArticleOpen Access26 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Reward salience but not spatial attention dominates the value representation in the orbitofrontal cortex

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encodes value, but how attention modulates its encoding is not clear. Here, the authors demonstrate that the representation of value in OFC is dominated by reward salience but only weakly modulated by spatial attention.
- Wenyi Zhang
- Yang Xie
- Tianming Yang
ArticleOpen Access22 Oct 2022 Nature Communications
Public attitudes value interpretability but prioritize accuracy in Artificial Intelligence

For many AI systems, it is hard to interpret how they make decisions. Here, the authors show that non-experts value interpretability in AI, especially for decisions involving high stakes and scarce resources, but they sacrifice AI interpretability when it trades off against AI accuracy.
- Anne-Marie Nussberger
- Lan Luo
- M. J. Crockett
ArticleOpen Access3 Oct 2022 Nature Communications
Structure-based discovery of small molecules that disaggregate Alzheimer’s disease tissue derived tau fibrils in vitro

Evidence suggests that fibrous aggregates of protein tau may be the proximal cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Here, using atomic structures of tau fibrils from brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the authors have found small-molecule drug leads that disaggregate tau fibrils in vitro.
- Paul M. Seidler
- Kevin A. Murray
- David S. Eisenberg
ArticleOpen Access16 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Earlier Alzheimer’s disease onset is associated with tau pathology in brain hub regions and facilitated tau spreading

Individuals with young onset sporadic Alzheimer’s disease show faster pathological and clinical progression. Here the authors report that earlier symptom onset in Alzheimer’s disease is associated with higher tau pathology in globally connected brain hubs, accelerated connectivity-mediated tau spreading and faster cognitive decline.
- Lukas Frontzkowski
- Michael Ewers
- Nicolai Franzmeier
ArticleOpen Access20 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
A functional role of meningeal lymphatics in sex difference of stress susceptibility in mice

The mechanisms underlying sex differences in response to stress are unclear. Here, the authors show that meningeal lymphatics dysfunction modulates the sex difference in the stress susceptibility to depression- and anxiety-like behaviours in mice.
- Weiping Dai
- Mengqian Yang
- Xiaojing Ye
ArticleOpen Access16 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
Small, correlated changes in synaptic connectivity may facilitate rapid motor learning

How animals are able to rapidly adapt their behaviour to changing environmental demands remains poorly understood. Here, the authors use a modelling approach to show that synaptic plasticity in motor cortex may underlie rapid motor learning, demonstrating that small, correlated connectivity changes that preserve neural covariance are highly effective in driving behavioural adaptation.
- Barbara Feulner
- Matthew G. Perich
- Claudia Clopath
ArticleOpen Access2 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Synthesizing theories of human language with Bayesian program induction

Humans can infer rules for building words in a new language from a handful of examples, and linguists also can infer language patterns across related languages. Here, the authors provide an algorithm which models these grammatical abilities by synthesizing human-understandable programs for building words.
- Kevin Ellis
- Adam Albright
- Timothy J. O’Donnell
ArticleOpen Access30 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
Preclinical and randomized clinical evaluation of the p38α kinase inhibitor neflamapimod for basal forebrain cholinergic degeneration

The authors show in an animal model and in a study in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) that the drug neflamapimod has potential to treat diseases, such as DLB, associated with loss of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
- Ying Jiang
- John J. Alam
- Ralph A. Nixon
ArticleOpen Access21 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Effects of biological sex mismatch on neural progenitor cell transplantation for spinal cord injury in mice

In this study, Pitonak et al. report that transplantation of neural progenitor cells derived from male donors trigger an immune rejection response following transplantation into sites of spinal cord injury in female mice.
- Michael Pitonak
- Miriam Aceves
- Jennifer N. Dulin
ArticleOpen Access14 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Transcriptional dynamics of murine motor neuron maturation in vivo and in vitro

Patel et al. show that gene expression and regulation in motor neurons is dynamic until juvenile age. A core subprogram (~40% of genes) is faithfully recapitulated in cultured motor neurons, with neuronal activity playing only a modulatory role.
- Tulsi Patel
- Jennifer Hammelman
- Hynek Wichterle
ArticleOpen Access15 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
An energizing role for motivation in information-seeking during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

Information-seeking behavior in humans is often viewed as irrational rather than utility maximizing. Here the authors describe data obtained in Spring 2020 showing that participants’ concern about COVID-19 was related not only to their drive to seek information about the virus, but also to their curiosity about other more general topics.
- Yaniv Abir
- Caroline B. Marvin
- Daphna Shohamy
ArticleOpen Access28 Apr 2022 Nature Communications
Accuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizable approach for reducing the spread of misinformation

Prompting people to consider accuracy can improve the quality of news they share online. Here, using an internal meta-analysis, the authors show that this effect is replicable and generalizes across headlines, types of accuracy prompt, and various participant characteristics.
- Gordon Pennycook
- David G. Rand
ArticleOpen Access28 Apr 2022 Nature Communications
A computational theory of the subjective experience of flow

Flow is a desired but elusive state characterized by the subjective experience of immersion and engagement in an activity. Here, the authors develop and empirically validate a formal model that specifies variables and computations involved in the subjective experience of flow.
- David E. Melnikoff
- Ryan W. Carlson
- Paul E. Stillman
ArticleOpen Access26 Apr 2022 Nature Communications
Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media

The relationship between social media use and well-being might change across adolescent development. Here, the authors use cross sectional and longitudinal data to show that distinct developmental windows of sensitivity to social media emerge in adolescence, dependent on age and sex.
- Amy Orben
- Andrew K. Przybylski
- Rogier A. Kievit
ArticleOpen Access28 Mar 2022 Nature Communications
Flexible auditory training, psychophysics, and enrichment of common marmosets with an automated, touchscreen-based system

The authors present a cage-based stand-alone platform for autonomous, standardized, and unsupervised training and testing of visuo-auditory-cued behaviours of common marmosets. The experiments do not require dietary restriction or social separation.
- A. Calapai
- J. Cabrera-Moreno
- M. Jeschke
ArticleOpen Access28 Mar 2022 Nature Communications

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