synaptic-biology

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…

Glaucoma is a heterogeneous group of irreversible and blinding optic neuropathies caused by multiple factors. It is clinically characterized by progressive loss of visual field and decline in visual acuity, ultimately culminating in complete blindness. Hallmark pathological features include progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and atrophy of the optic nerve. Importantly, the patholo…

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 27 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02308-x Astrocytes modulate complex brain functions. These ubiquitous glial cells constitute a multilayered system of functional units that operate across multiple spatial scales, thereby increasing the degrees of freedom in brain information processing.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by persistent low mood and anhedonia, indicative of fundamental disruptions in emotion regulation and reward processing. With advancements in high-temporal resolution electrophysiological techniques, electroencephalography/event-related potentials have become crucial for identifying the dynamic neural signatures associated with these dysfunctions. …

Impulsive decision-making is strongly associated with substance use disorders (SUD). Using computational modeling, we investigated similarities and differences in decision-making profiles between stimulant and opioid users. Additionally, we used a sibling comparison design to determine if impulsive decision-making could serve as a computational marker of familial liability for addiction. Particip…

The spatial arrangement of neurons in the locus coeruleus of mice corresponds with the cells’ targets across the brain, according to a new study.

Motor neuron disease (MND) is marked by progressive neurodegeneration in which presynaptic Ca2+-handling and mitochondrial metabolism are thought to be vulnerable, but direct functional studies in human brain are scarce because most material is frozen long-term. Here, we show that synaptosomes isolated from paired fresh and experimentally frozen mouse cortex, and from cryopreserved human motor co…

Far from a blank slate, the infant brain begins with an overabundance of random neural connections. Neuroscientists discovered how trimming this excess wiring transforms the hippocampus into a powerful, structured memory machine.

BackgroundWolfram syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by antibody-negative early-onset diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, sensorineural hearing loss, arginine-vasopressin deficiency, and progressive neurodegeneration of the brainstem and cerebellum. It is caused primarily by pathogenic variants in the WFS1 gene, which encodes a transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum–resident…

Nature Communications, Published online: 19 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73268-w Researchers show the olfactory tubercle mediates social threat assessment via persistent synaptic plasticity in male mice. They identify a serotonin-dopamine switch that balances avoidance and approach behaviors during the recall of social threat memories.