neurotransmitter-receptor-influence-on-behavior

They weren’t just tuning the strength of the incoming signals (the synapses); they were actually training the neuron on *where* those signals should land on its branchy “tree” to get the best results. Cortical pyramidal neurons possess elaborate dendritic trees with diverse nonlinear membrane conductances and thousands of plastic synapses, suggesting substantial computational capabilities at [&#8…

Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Published online: 12 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41583-026-01055-z AMPA receptors (AMPARs) mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the brain. Derek Bowie and colleagues describe recent advances in our understanding of the regulatory layers that operate across the lifespan of an AMPAR to govern its assembly, structure and function.

Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, Published online: 12 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41401-026-01808-7 Amyloid-beta fibrils as active contributors to synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease

Synaptic failure is one of the earliest and most significant contributors to the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), preceding extensive neuronal loss. Although amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of tau protein characterize the disease, memory impairment primarily results from the gradual deterioration of synaptic communications. This decline is caused by a co…

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02337-6 Stereotyped positioning of olfactory receptors

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02336-7 Flexibility begins in the dendrites

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises diverse neurodevelopmental trajectories in which altered circuit dynamics converge on a disturbance of excitation–inhibition balance. Genetic, postmortem, neuroimaging, and model-system evidence implicates γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors as a major molecular node within this imbalance. ASD has been associated with changes in GABAA receptor sub…

Abstract Background Intravenous self-administration (IVSA) of opioids by rats has been shown frequently to exhibit no sex differences, in many cases a higher intake of females, and only rarely higher rates in males. A diversity of methodological parameters (opioid identity, training doses, rat strain, session duration) makes it difficult to identify consistent contributions to these outcomes. Obj…

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02316-x By combining single-cell sequencing and morphogen screening, researchers map how signaling cues shape cell identity in mid-hindbrain organoids and identify conditions that generate novel posterior brain neuron types.

Abstract Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in both younger and older adults. However, the current treatments for anxiety were developed based on younger adults and are not as effective in older adults. Therefore, investigating anxiety disorders in older adults would greatly benefit the mental well-being of the rapidly growing aged populations. This study finds that basal anxi…

IntroductionNeuronal firing patterns emerge from complex interactions between intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic receptor dynamics. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors critically shape calcium influx and synaptic plasticity through their voltage-dependent Mg2+ block and prolonged activation kinetics, yet how their closing kinetics interact with glutamatergic drive and GABAergic modulati…

IntroductionUnderstanding the mechanisms underlying direction selectivity in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is crucial in visual neuroscience. Retinal direction selectivity is critical for gaze stabilization through optokinetic and vestibulo-ocular reflexes, and its loss impairs the ability to stabilize gaze and track moving objects, potentially impacting behaviors that rely on accurate motion det…

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 02 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02321-0 This study shows that androgens signal to specific enteric neurons to stimulate gut motility. Bacterial metabolism of host-derived steroids generates the ligands, revealing a dynamic host–microbe interaction that influences nervous system function.

Glowing Material Copies How Your Brain Folds Memory, Sight Together A photon-modulated synaptic device based on a rare-earth-doped long-afterglow crystal facilitates excitatory (UV-induced) and inhibitory (near-infrared induced) plasticity. This schematic depicts the excitatory impulse wit luminescence as the optical output.

Nature Communications, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73881-9 Antisense oligonucleotides targeting the glycine transporter SLC6A20 restore NMDA -receptor function and rescue behavioral and synaptic phospho-proteomic deficits in Shank2- and Shank3-mutant mice and in human SHANK2/SHANK3 cortical organoids.

A new study from the Brainlab has been published in Hearing Research, as part of Carla Salgado Farias’ PhD research within the Brainlab, directed by Iria SanMiguel and Marc Via. The article, entitled “Beyond suppression: Self-generation enhances perceived loudness and cortical responses to faint sounds”, demonstrates that faint self-generated sounds are perceived as louder and [...] The post Bra…

Synapses are the basic unit of information transfer between neurons. Their dysfunction is a common trigger of cognitive diseases and disorders. However, high-throughput analysis methods to assess synaptic function and dysfunction are lacking. Calcium imaging in cultured neurons in the absence of Mg2+ and presence of TTX allows visualization of NMDAR-dependent spontaneous synaptic calcium transien…

Synaptic development and functionality have been considered as fundamental mechanisms underlying a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Emerging evidence from biological and clinical studies implicates mutations in the Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) gene in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this study, genetic interactions among a select set of risk factor genes…