The European Journal Of Neuroscience[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
A Verification Report of Three Meta-Analyses in Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation-Motor Learning Research.
Alsalti T, Hussey I, Elson M … +2 more , Krause R, Pohl S
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42089191 · Full text
With transcranial direct-current stimulation's (tDCS) popularity both in motor learning research and as a commercial product, it is important that the quality of evidence on its effectiveness be evaluated. Special attent...
With transcranial direct-current stimulation's (tDCS) popularity both in motor learning research and as a commercial product, it is important that the quality of evidence on its effectiveness be evaluated. Special attention should be paid to meta-analyses, as they usually have a large impact on research and clinical practice. The aim of this verification report was to gain insight on the methodological quality of meta-analyses estimating the effect of tDCS on motor learning. To that end, we verified the methodology of three meta-analyses with respect to reproducibility as the main focus, and reporting quality and publication bias control as secondary aspects. The three meta-analyses we verified largely adhered to PRISMA reporting guidelines and reported the primary effect sizes and sampling variances/confidence intervals they calculated, enabling successful reproductions of pooled effect size estimates. However, akin to previous meta-research with similar aims, we found the methods and results sections of the meta-analyses to be severely underreported, which compromises the ability to judge the soundness of the methodological procedure adopted as well as its reproducibility. While publication bias detection methods were applied, the approaches chosen do not allow for well informed decisions about the presence or extent of publication bias. These results reemphasise the need to transparently report methods in meta-analyses and to meticulously evaluate their quality before and after publication.
Interoception, Immunoception, and the Role of Insular Cortex in Cardiovascular Disease.
Nagai M, Umeda S, Ewbank H … +3 more , Saleh Velez FG, Po S, Dasari T
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42087845 · Publisher ↗
Whereas the brain-heart axis is an emerging field in neuropsychocardiology, a central autonomic network including the insular cortex (Ic) regulates the cardiovascular system via the intrinsic cardiac nervous system. Card...
Whereas the brain-heart axis is an emerging field in neuropsychocardiology, a central autonomic network including the insular cortex (Ic) regulates the cardiovascular system via the intrinsic cardiac nervous system. Cardiac interoception, represented in Ic, has been studied in cardiovascular diseases and inflammation. Therefore, it is important to investigate how interoception is related to cardiovascular disease in terms of its prevention and treatment. To examine the role of the Ic in cardiovascular and immune regulation, we focus on converging evidence from human stroke cohorts, lesion-symptom mapping studies, and experimental models that implicate the Ic as a causal hub within the brain-heart-immune axis. In particular, Ic plays a pivotal role in processing interoception as well as immunoception, and based on this information, Ic regulates cardiovascular and immune systems via efferent autonomic networks. Furthermore, vagally mediated neuromodulation is likely to influence interoception and immunoception and plays a pivotal role in improving cardiovascular dysregulation.
Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex Lesions Disrupt Spatial- but Not Motor-Based Inhibition.
Ouerfelli-Ethier J, Jurkiewicz T, Comtois-Bona I … +3 more , Carrier T, Khan AZ, Pisella L
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42087821 · Full text
Spatial and response inhibition are two different types of inhibition processes. Spatial inhibition refers to the suppression of a specific location, whereas response inhibition involves cancelling a planned movement and...
Spatial and response inhibition are two different types of inhibition processes. Spatial inhibition refers to the suppression of a specific location, whereas response inhibition involves cancelling a planned movement and is motor based. Here we examined the effects of lesions on the dorsal posterior parietal cortex on performance during two saccade tasks that separately assessed spatial (inhibition of return task) and response inhibition (stop signal task). We tested two stroke patients, one with unilateral and one with bilateral lesions to the dorsal posterior parietal cortex, as well as 21 age-matched controls. In our spatial inhibition task, control participants showed the typical inhibition of return effect, whereas patients exhibited no inhibition of return in their ataxic hemifields. In contrast, patients and their matched controls performed similarly on the stop signal task. These results reveal a simple dissociation in our patients, where motor-based inhibition is preserved following damage to the dorsal posterior parietal cortex, whereas spatial inhibition is impaired. This highlights the specific role of the dorsal posterior parietal cortex in spatial inhibition, notably related to spatial attentional mechanisms.
Frequency-Tagging Captures Distinct Neural Responses Elicited by Bilateral Periodic Thermonociceptive Stimulation.
Leu C, Herbillon G, Liberati G … +1 more , Legrain V
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42084225 · Publisher ↗
Sustained periodic stimuli are known to elicit a periodic neural response (i.e., steady-state evoked potential) in the EEG frequency spectrum. These responses can easily be traced at their frequency of stimulation and co...
Sustained periodic stimuli are known to elicit a periodic neural response (i.e., steady-state evoked potential) in the EEG frequency spectrum. These responses can easily be traced at their frequency of stimulation and corresponding harmonics using a frequency-tagging approach. To date, sustained periodic thermonociceptive stimuli have only been used on one extremity (e.g., right volar forearm) at a time. Extending this procedure to sustained stimulation applied concomitantly to distinct limbs would allow us to study the mechanisms of integration or competition between sensory signals from these different body locations. This study demonstrates that slow, sustained, sinusoidal thermonociceptive stimuli, bilaterally applied using two different stimulation frequencies (i.e., f, f, one on each forearm), elicit two distinct neural periodic responses at the respective frequency of stimulation and their harmonics. Additionally, we showed preliminary evidence for an interaction between the neural populations involved in the response to these stimuli, marked by neural activity at intermodulation frequencies (n* f ± m* f). While encouraging, further studies designed specifically to tease out these intermodulation responses are needed to corroborate our findings.
Animal Models of Freezing of Gait.
Coletta S, Papa SM
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42083323 · Publisher ↗
Increasing research efforts in recent years and new approaches in clinical studies provided significant insights into the pathophysiology of freezing of gait (FOG). However, the study of causative mechanisms for complex...
Increasing research efforts in recent years and new approaches in clinical studies provided significant insights into the pathophysiology of freezing of gait (FOG). However, the study of causative mechanisms for complex gait disorders typically needs refined in vivo models, which are still lacking for FOG. The characteristics of FOG pose major difficulties not only for reproduction in animals with different types of gaits but also for assessment of such episodic behavior in the animal environment. In this review, we examine the currently available animal models of FOG and FOG-like phenomena for their validity and applicability and present a prospective view of modeling based on novel technologies to manipulate integrated mechanisms.
Atypical Change Detection in Sound Sequences: A Behavioral and Magnetoencephalography Study in Congenital Amusia.
Lévêque Y, Fakche C, Fornoni L … +6 more , Lecaignard F, Daligault S, Delpuech C, Jung J, Tillmann B, Caclin A
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42082900 · Full text
Pitch change detection and pitch memory are behaviorally impaired in congenital amusia. Yet rather preserved mismatch negativity (MMN) to unexpected pitch changes has previously been reported using EEG, suggesting a disc...
Pitch change detection and pitch memory are behaviorally impaired in congenital amusia. Yet rather preserved mismatch negativity (MMN) to unexpected pitch changes has previously been reported using EEG, suggesting a discrepancy between conscious and preattentive pitch perception in this population. Coupling MEG with EEG, our study re-examined MMN in congenital amusia in light of two factors: stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) and change size of the deviant. Individuals with and without congenital amusia passively listened to oddball sequences with either frequency (pitch) or intensity (loudness) deviants, using short (500 ms) or long (1500 ms) SOAs and small or large changes (0.25 or 2 semitones; -5 or -15 dB). In a subsequent active change detection task, participants with amusia had impaired detection of small frequency changes, while a smaller group difference was found for small intensity changes. Long SOAs increased amusics' behavioral response times more than those of controls for frequency and intensity deviants. Time courses of source data in MEG revealed decreased amplitude and increased latency of MMNs to frequency deviants in right temporal and right frontal cortices in amusia, across all the tested SOAs and change sizes. Some MMN abnormalities were found in amusic participants also for intensity deviants, across all the tested SOAs and change sizes. Thanks to the sensitivity of MEG, this study pinpoints that the right-sided fronto-temporal anomalies characterizing amusia are linked to modifications in the processing of sounds in sequences, most particularly for the pitch dimension, already at the preattentive level.
People With Parkinson's Disease Who Freeze Exhibit Altered Quality of Daily-Life Walking Compared to Those Without Freezing.
Peterson DS, Shah VV, Carlson-Kuhta P … +5 more , Silva-Batista C, Anjanibhargavi Ragothaman A, Ofori E, Horak FB, Mancini M
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42071271 · Publisher ↗
People with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait (PD+FOG) exhibit altered gait and turning compared to nonfreezing peers with PD (PD-FOG). However, less work has examined the effects of FOG status on daily-life mobil...
People with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait (PD+FOG) exhibit altered gait and turning compared to nonfreezing peers with PD (PD-FOG). However, less work has examined the effects of FOG status on daily-life mobility. Therefore, we compared daily-life gait and turning across PD+FOG and PD-FOG and related gait deficits to self-reported FOG severity and health-related quality of life (QOL). We collected daily-life mobility data over 7 days from 119 people with PD (PD+FOG = 47). Inertial sensors on the feet and lower back assessed 33 gait and balance outcomes. One-way ANCOVAs assessed the effect of FOG status on mobility. Five variables reflecting gait and turning quality were significantly worse in PD+FOG compared to PD-FOG after Holm correction: smaller turn angles, smaller foot pitch at initial contact, and increased variability of double-support time, stride length, and pitch at toe-off. Of these outcomes, two (turn angle & stride length variability) were significantly correlated with freezing severity, and 4 (turn angle, stride length variability, pitch at initial contact and pitch at toe-off variability) related to QOL. Turns per hour also related to QOL. In sum, PD+FOG exhibited worse daily-life gait quality (small turn angle and foot angle at heel strike and increased gait variability) and these outcomes were related to QOL and FOG severity. Daily-life gait quantity (number of turns, strides, and gait bouts per hour) was less affected by FOG. These results provide insight into daily-life mobility of PD+FOG, and support interventions aimed at quality of gait and turning for PD+FOG.
Review: "The Disappointment Dilemma: Short- and Long-Term Learning From Negative Outcomes".
Ibañez-Tallon I, Molas S, Proulx CD … +2 more , Piriz J, Soria-Gómez E
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42057617 · Full text
In this review, we synthesize key findings from the 2025 Spanish Society for Neuroscience (SENC) symposium "Understanding Habenulae Function in Emotional Behavior" and propose that the brain possesses a "disappointment c...
In this review, we synthesize key findings from the 2025 Spanish Society for Neuroscience (SENC) symposium "Understanding Habenulae Function in Emotional Behavior" and propose that the brain possesses a "disappointment circuit" that complements the classic dopaminergic reward system. The "disappointment dilemma" in financial investing-avoiding risk to prevent short-term disappointment, only to later experience greater long-term disappointment when safe choices underperform-illustrates how immediate and delayed negative outcomes can be traded off over time. We argue that this dilemma parallels partially specialized roles of the lateral habenula (LHb), which signals immediate disappointments as acute negative prediction errors, and the medial habenula (MHb), which shapes longer-lasting negative expectations or mood through the accumulation of disappointing experiences over time. We propose that LHb outputs implement fast, trial-by-trial adjustments in coping strategies via RMTg- and VTA-projecting pathways, whereas MHb-IPN circuits gradually reshape threat valuation, withdrawal states, and mood across repeated disappointing or stressful experiences. We discuss how LHb and MHb circuits contribute to short- and long-term disappointment by integrating information on stress resilience, aversive learning, threat and fear responses, drug-related behaviors, and mood adaptation from specific cell types and receptors that modulate fear, addiction, and motivation to circuit-level mechanisms underlying aversive learning and emotional responses.
The Effect of the Anticonvulsant Topiramate on Acetylcholine-Induced Calcium Signals is Linked to Sirt-1 Activity.
Kümmel ML
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42052976 · Full text
Although some forms of epilepsy directly result from mutations in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, none of the currently available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is specifically designed to target the cholinergic system. H...
Although some forms of epilepsy directly result from mutations in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, none of the currently available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is specifically designed to target the cholinergic system. However, there is growing evidence that some established AEDs, which were primarily designed to modulate excitatory glutamatergic and/or inhibitory GABAergic currents, may also influence cholinergic signalling. This study therefore investigated whether topiramate (TPM), a second-generation AED, directly affects calcium signals and whether the deacetylase sirtuin-1 (Sirt-1) contributes to this effect. Calcium imaging in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y was used to quantify acetylcholine- and nicotine-induced calcium signals following TPM treatment. To evaluate the role of protein deacetylases, TPM effects were further analysed in the presence of the deacetylase inhibitors trichostatin A (TSA) and inauhzin. TPM treatment significantly enhanced acetylcholine- and nicotine-induced calcium signals. This effect of TPM was completely abolished in the presence of TSA. However, the presence of inauhzin resulted in an inhibitory effect of TPM on acetylcholine-induced calcium signals. These findings reveal a previously uninvestigated modulatory effect of TPM on cholinergic calcium signalling that is directly dependent on the activity of deacetylases, like Sirt-1. The results may contribute to a better understanding of TPM's anticonvulsive mechanisms of action.
Rhodopsin 7 is Indispensable for Regulating the Firing Rates of Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Response to Extracellular Field Potential Changes in Drosophila melanogaster.
Kataoka M, Saito K, Ikeda K … +3 more , Fuse N, Ishikita H, Tanaka NK
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42051035 · Publisher ↗
Although extracellular field potential changes are commonly observed in the nervous system, it remains controversial if extracellular electrical activity contributes to neural processing or whether it is an epiphenomenon...
Although extracellular field potential changes are commonly observed in the nervous system, it remains controversial if extracellular electrical activity contributes to neural processing or whether it is an epiphenomenon associated with neural activity. We previously reported that the extracellular field potential change in compound eyes in response to light stimulation induces firing rate changes in olfactory sensory neurons in female Drosophila melanogaster. Through further investigation, we found that the extracellular field potential within the olfactory sensillum is regulated by octopaminergic neurons in response to light stimulation and that rhodopsin 7 mediates the firing rate changes in the olfactory sensory neurons in response to field potential changes in a light-independent manner. Structural analysis suggests a voltage-dependent gating mechanism for rhodopsin 7 to respond to the field potential change. This study reveals that the nervous system actively controls the field potential in response to sensory input, resulting in the alteration of behavioral patterns as well as neural firing patterns in a context-dependent manner.
Multivariate Pattern Analysis Identifies Potential Intertrial Resting-State EEG Biomarkers in Fibromyalgia.
Soldic D, Martín-Buro MC, López-García D … +6 more , Del Pino AB, Fernandes-Magalhaes R, Ferrera D, Peláez I, Carretié L, Mercado F
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 May · PMID 42045133 · Full text
Fibromyalgia involves widespread musculoskeletal pain and hypersensitivity, often accompanied by neurological, cognitive, and affective disturbances. Resting-state electroencephalography studies have revealed abnormal br...
Fibromyalgia involves widespread musculoskeletal pain and hypersensitivity, often accompanied by neurological, cognitive, and affective disturbances. Resting-state electroencephalography studies have revealed abnormal brain activity in chronic pain conditions, with anxiety and symptom duration potentially exacerbating these alterations. This study applied multivariate pattern analysis to differentiate intertrial resting-state electroencephalography signals between fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls across frequency bands associated with pain processing, incorporating state and trait anxiety scores. It also examined differences between patients with short- and long-duration symptoms and identified the most relevant scalp regions contributing to the models. Fifty-one female participants (25 fibromyalgia patients, 26 controls; aged 35-65) were included. Patients were classified into short-term (12) and long-term (13) groups. Normalized power spectral density values were extracted from electroencephalography data and used to train machine learning classifiers, with Haufe-transformed weights computed to determine key scalp contributions. The models distinguished patients from controls with area under the curve values exceeding 0.75 across all frequency bands, reaching 0.99 in beta and gamma bands when anxiety was included. Symptom duration was also a relevant factor, as the model differentiated short- from long-term fibromyalgia patients with area under the curve values up to 0.96 in beta and gamma bands. Alterations in theta power within frontal and parietal regions, along with frequency-specific contributions, highlight disrupted pain processing in fibromyalgia and suggest cumulative effects of prolonged symptom duration. Future resting-state studies leveraging multivariate pattern analysis may support the development of potential biomarkers to improve diagnosis and guide treatment strategies in clinical settings.
Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation Inhibits Contralesional Parietal and Occipital Activity During Imagined Movements After Stroke.
Magnuson JR, Rubino C, Klick SM … +10 more , Penko L, Rajendran A, Denyer R, Schaurich CG, Andrushko JW, Jones CB, Brocato J, Lamb C, Boyd LA, Kraeutner SN
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42036902 · Full text
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, when paired with skilled motor practice, shows promise for motor recovery after stroke via modulation of cortical excitability. After stroke, continuous theta burst stimulati...
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, when paired with skilled motor practice, shows promise for motor recovery after stroke via modulation of cortical excitability. After stroke, continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) has been used to reduce excitability in the contralesional cortex. In theory this increases excitability in the homologous motor area in the ipsilesional motor cortex. However, the response to cTBS is inconsistent. In turn, it is difficult to understand the broader impact of cTBS on brain activity after stroke. Here, 30 participants with middle cerebral artery stroke (> 6 months post-stroke; nine females; 68 ± 13 years; 15 left hemisphere stroke) underwent both active and sham cTBS applied over the contralesional primary motor cortex, in counterbalanced order across individuals. Before and after cTBS, participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment where they engaged in a motor imagery (the mental rehearsal of a movement) task involving opening a door with their stroke affected arm/hand. Continuous TBS led to reduced activity (pre > post) in parietal and occipital brain regions including the calcarine sulcus, cuneus, precuneus, and posterior cingulate cortex during motor imagery. No changes in brain activity were observed following sham stimulation. These findings suggest that cTBS can decrease activity in regions involved in higher-order or compensatory visuospatial processing. Overall, this work furthers our understanding of how cTBS influences brain activity in individuals with stroke, which is critical to inform the use of cTBS as a potential therapy for individuals with stroke.
Modulation of Predictive Coding in Auditory Paradigms of Varying Complexity in Children With Developmental Language Disorder.
Ruiz-Martínez FJ, Rodríguez Martínez EI, Angulo Ruiz B … +4 more , Gómez Trevióo A, Muñoz Pradas R, Andalia S, Gómez CM
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42029654 · Full text
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a persistent difficulty in the acquisition and use of expressive and/or receptive language, which negatively impacts academic and social development. The present study evaluated t...
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a persistent difficulty in the acquisition and use of expressive and/or receptive language, which negatively impacts academic and social development. The present study evaluated the validity of the statistical learning model proposed to account for language difficulties in children with DLD. To this end, two auditory paradigms of varying complexity, framed within predictive coding theory, were passively presented to children diagnosed with DLD and to typically developing children without neurological impairments. The paradigms consisted of stimulus sequences with decreasing or increasing frequencies, interspersed with the sporadic occurrence of unexpected tone endings. The psychophysiological response was recorded using EEG, focusing on the P1, mismatch negativity (MMN), postimperative negative variation (PINV), and contingent negative variation (CNV) components. Results showed an absent MMN and a higher P1 response to deviant tones in children with DLD, suggesting an impaired development of frontal MMN generators, potentially compensated by activity in the primary auditory cortex. DLD participants also showed increased PINV and CNV responses during the most complex paradigm, which could imply greater cognitive effort and resource allocation for reassessment of stimulus patterns. Finally, incomplete maturation of frontal areas in children within this age range (3-11 years) was proposed as a possible explanation for the absence of differences between groups in P1 and N1/MMN responses elicited by simple and complex conditions. These findings support statistical learning as a valid model for understanding the possible neural basis of DLD and highlight this predictive EEG design as a potential protocol for early detection.
Evidence for Increased High Alpha Intermuscular Coherence as a Measure of Reticulospinal Motor Drive.
Holliger NS, Zipser-Mohammadzada F, Carpanese DF … +2 more , Schubert M, Filli L
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42026929 · Full text
The reticulospinal (RS) system is a key descending motor pathway involved in human movement control. However, it remains poorly characterized, largely due to methodological challenges in assessing its anatomy and physiol...
The reticulospinal (RS) system is a key descending motor pathway involved in human movement control. However, it remains poorly characterized, largely due to methodological challenges in assessing its anatomy and physiology. Current approaches to gauge RS drive rely on intense stimuli (auditory cues, transcranial magnetic stimulation), limiting their feasibility. Here, we examined intermuscular coherence as a potential biomarker of common neural drive related to the RS system. Intermuscular coherence was evaluated during the startle reflex and StartReact paradigm, both known to be primarily mediated by the RS system. In 10 healthy participants, intermuscular coherence was analyzed across the sternocleidomastoid, lateral deltoid, and biceps brachii muscles bilaterally during the startle reflex. In 16 participants, intermuscular coherence was examined in the tibialis anterior (TA) during StartReact, as well as during postural perturbations, a postural balance task, and non-postural ankle movements. Intermuscular coherence was enhanced across all muscles in the high alpha band during both the startle reflex and StartReact. A similar, albeit smaller peak in coherence was found at the same frequency during postural perturbations. TA intermuscular coherence was significantly enhanced at the high alpha and low beta bands during balance control vs. non-postural ankle movements. The findings from the startle reflex and StartReact suggest that intermuscular coherence in the high alpha band reflects RS drive. RS contributions appear to be critical for postural control, particularly during balance-related tasks, but not for non-postural tasks involving TA. Results suggest that intermuscular coherence is a promising approach for assessing RS motor drive during movements.
Examining the Relationship Between Physical Neglect, Inflammation and Anterior Cingulate Activation During Facial Emotion Recognition in Patients With Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.
Mothersill D, King S, Corley E … +8 more , Patlola SR, Dauvermann MR, Kelly JP, McKernan DP, Hallahan B, McDonald C, Morris DW, Donohoe G
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42026815 · Publisher ↗
Physical neglect is associated with poorer cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia, including deficits in facial emotion recognition. Recent research by our group showed the relationship between physical neg...
Physical neglect is associated with poorer cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia, including deficits in facial emotion recognition. Recent research by our group showed the relationship between physical neglect and facial emotion recognition is mediated by inflammation. While this mediation effect was observed at the level of behaviour, examining the relationship between physical neglect, inflammation and neural activation during facial emotion recognition would help confirm brain regions impacted and support behavioural findings, but these relationships are unclear. Two hundred twelve participants (52 patients with schizophrenia and 160 healthy controls) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an established facial emotion recognition task and a subset completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and provided blood samples outside of the scanner. Inflammation was measured using a latent variable that combined basal plasma levels of interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and C-reactive protein. The relationships between physical neglect, inflammation and neural activation were examined using multiple regression. Neither physical neglect nor inflammation predicted altered neural response during facial emotion recognition at p < 0.05, family-wise error corrected for multiple comparisons within an anterior cingulate region of interest, across the whole brain, in the whole sample or separately in patients or controls. Future research should examine relationships between physical neglect, inflammation and brain activation in larger samples, which may have sensitivity to detect smaller effects, and use tasks that require active recognition of emotions, in addition to passive viewing of faces, which might be associated with additional neural responses.
When R-Loops Go Awry: Genome Instability and Neurological Diseases.
Rasli NR, Katsuyama Y
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42026781 · Full text
The basic structure of DNA is a double helix formed by base pairing between complementary strands. However, during transcription, RNA hybridizes with the template DNA, whereas the complementary DNA strand becomes displac...
The basic structure of DNA is a double helix formed by base pairing between complementary strands. However, during transcription, RNA hybridizes with the template DNA, whereas the complementary DNA strand becomes displaced and remains unpaired. This process forms a DNA-RNA hybrid structure known as an R-loop; similar structures can also occur in a non-co-transcriptional manner. In recent years, R-loops have been reported to be involved in various cellular functions. However, when not properly regulated, they can compromise genomic DNA stability. R-loops play roles in gene expression, DNA replication, and transcription termination. Dysregulation of R-loop homeostasis has been implicated in various human diseases, including neurological diseases. In this review, we discuss the physiological and pathological roles of R-loops, their related regulatory mechanisms controlling their formation and resolution, and their association with neurological diseases.
Correction to 'Distinct Neural Responses to Number Signs and Number Gestures in Hearing Second Language Signers'.
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42026770 · Publisher ↗
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Reverse Hierarchical Processing of Speech in Talker Identification.
Choi JY, Xiong S, McHaney JR … +1 more , Chandrasekaran B
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42021535 · Full text
Spoken language contains critical information related to "what" is being said as well as "who" is talking. Listeners use various cues from speech to identify talkers. Talkers can be identified primarily based on acoustic...
Spoken language contains critical information related to "what" is being said as well as "who" is talking. Listeners use various cues from speech to identify talkers. Talkers can be identified primarily based on acoustic cues, but access to higher-level cues depends on the extent of language familiarity. Do listeners have greater processing costs when there is a greater number of cues available? Or do listeners leverage cues in a reverse hierarchical manner, using higher-level cues more strategically to reduce processing costs? Here, we leveraged multiple methodological approaches, including pupillometry, analysis of the behavioral error pattern, and drift diffusion models (DDMs), to examine the dynamics of how learners identify novel talkers and accrue sensory evidence, balance cue usage, and manage processing costs during talker identity learning. Native English-speaking adults learned to identify talkers in English and Mandarin, then were tested on recognizing them speaking new sentences, all while their pupillary responses, a proxy for processing cost, were recorded. Talker identification was more accurate and induced less pupil dilation in English relative to Mandarin. Analysis of error patterns showed that listeners relied more heavily on low-level acoustic features in Mandarin than English, and DDMs revealed that higher evidence accumulation rates were associated with smaller pupil dilation. These findings suggest that, whenever available, listeners primarily use higher-level abstract representations to identify talkers from the beginning of the learning process while relying on less efficient, lower-level features of speech sounds in unfamiliar languages, consistent with the predictions of the reverse hierarchical framework.
Correction to 'Mobile Powerhouses: Mitochondria Transfer via Tunnelling Nanotubes in Brain Health and Neurodegenerative Diseases'.
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42020952 · Publisher ↗
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Exploring the Neural Substrates of Number Sense: A Perspective on Genetics, Behaviour and Neural Circuity.
Zanon M, Brennan CH, Petrazzini MEM … +1 more , Torres-Pérez JV
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42015506 · Full text
Number sense is the intuitive, non-verbal ability to perceive and process numerical quantities without formal counting. This evolutionarily conserved trait, shared by different animal species, is supported by two mechani...
Number sense is the intuitive, non-verbal ability to perceive and process numerical quantities without formal counting. This evolutionarily conserved trait, shared by different animal species, is supported by two mechanisms: the object tracking system (OTS) for small sets and the approximate number system (ANS) for larger quantities. Although historically viewed as distinct, these systems interact dynamically; their disruption is implicated in developmental dyscalculia and disorders such as Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS), a chromosome microdeletion characterised by marked numerical and visuospatial deficits. Here, we synthesise neurobiological advances to provide an integrative perspective on the neural substrates of number sense. Field studies provide ecological validity, while laboratory procedures offer tighter precision; together, they illuminate the biological foundations of numerical cognition. Although number sense is conserved, human studies indicate only moderate heritability likely reflecting directional selection. Nonetheless, genetic findings converge on neurodevelopmental and synaptic mechanisms. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) offer a powerful platform to bridge genes, circuits and behaviour. For instance, manipulating zebrafish genes linked to WBS reveals gene-specific effects on quantity processing. At the neural level, numerical cognition is largely supported by specialised number-selective neurons. Whole-brain calcium imaging in larval zebrafish demonstrates that these neurons emerge by 3 days postfertilisation and follow a trajectory where representations of small numerosities precede larger ones. Altogether, integrating genetic, behavioural and circuit-level approaches provides a powerful framework for uncovering conserved mechanisms of numerosity supporting higher-level cognitive functions, including mathematics.
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