The European Journal Of Neuroscience[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Not All Rules Are Equal: Rare Conditional Rules Shape Behaviour but Yield to Global Probability in Passive Listening.
Coy N, Bendixen A, Löhr A … +3 more , Grimm S, Schröger E, Roeber U
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42010878 · Full text
The human auditory system rapidly encodes auditory regularities. Evidence comes from the oddball paradigm, in which frequent (standard) sounds are occasionally replaced with a rare (deviant) sound. Deviants relative to s...
The human auditory system rapidly encodes auditory regularities. Evidence comes from the oddball paradigm, in which frequent (standard) sounds are occasionally replaced with a rare (deviant) sound. Deviants relative to standards typically elicit signs of prediction error (e.g., MMN and P3a). It is, however, less clear whether deviants, which also bear predictive information but are encountered less often than standards, might inform auditory prediction. To investigate this, naïve participants listened to sound sequences constructed according to a new, modified version of the oddball paradigm: two kinds of deviants differing in their probability of repetition yield the sound actually following a deviant either conditionally likely or unlikely. As this sound is either the same deviant (repetition) or a standard (no repetition), it is either unlikely or likely with respect to the global stimulus probability at the same time. In an active deviant detection task, we replicated previous behavioural findings, demonstrating that predictive information carried by deviants (conditional probability) is extracted when behaviourally relevant. Our analyses further reveal that respective response time effects increase over the course of the task. However, in a passive listening setting, both MMN and P3a were confined to violations of rules based on global probability, while not being sensitive to conditional probability. Though some sensitivity to conditional probability had been observed in a previous study, these effects were tiny compared to those of global probability. Thus, the auditory system seems to mainly rely on rules that are encountered frequently (standard regularity), at least during passive listening.
Reductionism in Engram Neuroscience.
Mace C, O'Sullivan F, Wilson SR
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42010869 · Full text
Engrams are a hypothetical construct in neuroscience used to explain memory phenomena. The search for engrams has been energised by the advent of certain reductionist methods that intervene at lower levels of organisatio...
Engrams are a hypothetical construct in neuroscience used to explain memory phenomena. The search for engrams has been energised by the advent of certain reductionist methods that intervene at lower levels of organisation. We defend methodological reductionism as an essential research strategy but argue that such methods alone are insufficient for a complete explanation of memory. Relying solely on these methods perpetuates a field that is data-rich but understanding-poor. Explanations in memory neuroscience require theorising about engrams and the conditions for their discovery. This can be facilitated by an integrative pluralism, by which multiple competing models of causal processes are integrated within a broader theoretical framework. We propose that conceiving of engrams as multiply-realisable, causal motifs-not the standard conceit of a stable, physical entity-is essential for a complete explanation of memory phenomena. As such, methodological reductionism and explanatory integrative pluralism are important conceptual tools in the neuroscientist's toolkit.
Domperidone Modulates Hippocampal D2 Expression, Facilitates Extinction, and Attenuates Morphine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference in Rats.
Zahiri-Pour AS, Razzaghi-Firozjaei F, Ghaderi A … +4 more , Ghavipanjeh G, Haghparast A, Ghoreishi FS, Banafshe HR
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42010832 · Publisher ↗
Peripheral dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) have been implicated in modulating reward-related behaviors; however, their role in morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) remains unclear. This study evaluated whether...
Peripheral dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) have been implicated in modulating reward-related behaviors; however, their role in morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) remains unclear. This study evaluated whether peripheral selective D2R blockade by domperidone (DOM), with limited blood-brain barrier penetration, influences morphine-induced CPP in rats. Male Wistar rats were conditioned with morphine (5 mg/kg, subcutaneously [SC]) to induce CPP. DOM was administered intraperitoneally at 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg doses during acquisition, expression, and extinction phases. Behavioral CPP was assessed, and hippocampal D2R expression was measured via Western blot. During acquisition, all DOM doses significantly attenuated CPP, with 1 mg/kg being most effective (p < 0.001). In expression, 1 and 2 mg/kg doses reduced CPP (p < 0.001), with 1 mg/kg more effective. Only 1 mg/kg facilitated extinction (p < 0.01) and prevented reinstatement. Morphine has previously been shown to increase hippocampal D2R expression. In our experiments, DOM significantly decreased D2R expression in both expression and extinction phases. These results demonstrate that D2R antagonism by DOM can modulate morphine-induced CPP and hippocampal D2R expression, highlighting a potential role of peripheral dopaminergic mechanisms in opioid reward. DOM's peripheral action and efficacy suggest therapeutic potential in opioid use disorders.
Neural Timeline of Contextual Guidance in Naturalistic Visual Search Across Task Difficulty Levels.
Roy TS, Chowdhury AS, Chakravarty S … +2 more , Mazumder S, Das K
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42003230 · Publisher ↗
Visual search is extremely critical in the real world and is modulated by contextual guidance. Extensive research highlights the role of contextual manipulation in enhancing visual search performance. However, the neural...
Visual search is extremely critical in the real world and is modulated by contextual guidance. Extensive research highlights the role of contextual manipulation in enhancing visual search performance. However, the neural timeline underlying contextual guidance during ecologically valid visual search tasks remains largely unresolved. The current study uses heterogeneous targets in naturalistic visual search to explore the role of contextual facilitation of spatial attention in visual search under varying task difficulty. We hypothesized that contextual guidance-based deployment of attention to the expected location of the target will emerge in visual search tasks even in the absence of the target and investigated the neural timeline of attentional deployment, modulated by task difficulty. We used multivariate pattern classifiers to predict coarse contextual locations from single trial electroencephalogram (EEG) signals during naturalistic visual search in the absence of targets. Participants searched for heterogeneous targets in natural images, and the target-absent images carrying information for possible target locations provided by scene context were considered for analysis. Our results demonstrate that task consistent contextual locations in natural scenes can be predicted reliably pointing to the role of contextual information guiding early deployment of spatial attention in visual search. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) failed to predict the expected location using the same stimuli in a separate control EEG study when contextual information was made inconsequential. Finally, we demonstrated that for easy tasks, contextual guidance facilitation starts as early as 130-170 ms poststimulus onset, alluding to the role of task difficulty in mediating the early neural timeline of contextual guidance.
The Effect of Caffeine Consumption and Acute Withdrawal on Resting-State fMRI Brain Connectivity, Mood and Cognition.
Sevenoaks T, Lancelotte F, Souter N … +3 more , Stafford L, Rae C, Yeomans M
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 42003044 · Full text
Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance, yet few studies have investigated how habitual and acute consumption and withdrawal impacts resting-state brain connectivity. Notably, prior research lacks ade...
Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance, yet few studies have investigated how habitual and acute consumption and withdrawal impacts resting-state brain connectivity. Notably, prior research lacks adequate control for deprivation state, despite evidence that caffeine reinforcement occurs primarily by alleviating withdrawal. This study used a between-participant design to assess resting-state fMRI brain connectivity, mood and cognition in three groups: (1) moderate consumers (200-500 mg/day) tested after overnight abstinence (caffeine withdrawn, CW); (2) moderate consumers tested after overnight abstinence followed by 100 mg of caffeine (caffeine not withdrawn [CNW]); and (3) non-consumers of caffeine (< 50 mg/day, NC). Sixty healthy volunteers, aged 18-45 (n = 20/group) completed the Bond-Lader mood battery, a rapid visual information processing task and a resting-state fMRI scan. For resting-state brain connectivity, the CW group showed altered nucleus accumbens connectivity with primary visual cortex compared to CNW and NC groups. The CNW group showed stronger anterior insula connectivity with precuneus cortex compared to CW and NC groups. For network-level analyses, the CNW group exhibited reduced limbic within-network connectivity and altered connectivity between limbic and occipital cortex compared to CW and NC groups. The anterior salience network showed group differences in connectivity with the putamen, pallidum and thalamus. The supplementary somatomotor network showed greater connectivity with the bilateral putamen in both caffeine groups, but reduced connectivity with the right middle temporal gyrus for the CW group. No significant main group effect emerged for mood and cognition. These findings demonstrate that caffeine consumption and withdrawal produce distinct alterations in resting-state brain connectivity.
Within-Category Mismatch Responses to Parametrically Varying Speech Sounds.
Han C, Hestvik A, Idsardi W
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41992721 · Publisher ↗
Mismatch negativity arises from the construction of a memory trace encoding regularities extracted from auditory stimuli in an oddball paradigm. A previous study argued that when phonetic standards are varied within the...
Mismatch negativity arises from the construction of a memory trace encoding regularities extracted from auditory stimuli in an oddball paradigm. A previous study argued that when phonetic standards are varied within the limits of a phoneme category (i.e., the mental representation of speech sounds), the auditory cortex retrieves a discrete phoneme representation from long-term memory and uses it as the memory trace for deviance detection. This claim has motivated a body of work using varying-standards paradigms to probe phonological underspecification. A strong version of this claim predicts that varying standards should eliminate mismatch negativity when both standards and deviants belong to the same phoneme category, because the memory trace is purely phonemic and lacks acoustic detail. We tested this prediction in three electroencephalography experiments using English /t/ varying in voice onset time. In Experiment 1, a within-category deviant with a long voice onset time elicited a robust mismatch negativity even when standards varied across shorter values, contrary to the prediction of an exclusively symbolic phoneme-based memory trace. Experiments 2 and 3 further examined whether the within-category mismatch response reflects long-term memory representations of phonetic realizations associated with the evoked phoneme category or listeners' ad hoc representation of the stimulus distribution. The weight of the evidence suggests that the within-category mismatch negativity in the varying-standards paradigm reflects sensitivity to the statistical structure of the stimulus physical properties, rather than exclusive access to abstract phonological categories. Findings invite reinterpretation of studies using varying-standards paradigm in light of encoding of stimulus statistics.
Astrocytic Ensembles as Key Cellular Mediators of Memory Stabilization.
Chen J
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41992474 · Publisher ↗
A recent work by Dewa et al. elucidates that astrocytes recruited during fear recall stabilize memory traces across extended timescales through noradrenergic signaling pathways, operating through mechanisms distinct from...
A recent work by Dewa et al. elucidates that astrocytes recruited during fear recall stabilize memory traces across extended timescales through noradrenergic signaling pathways, operating through mechanisms distinct from neuronal engrams. This commentary discusses how neuron-astrocyte interactions reshape our understanding of memory maintenance and suggest novel translational applications for fear-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder.
Modulation of Amyloid and Tau Pathology by Empagliflozin in a High-Fat Diet and Streptozotocin-Induced Type 2 Diabetes-Associated Alzheimer's Model.
Hazar-Yavuz AN, Ertas B, Kaya RK … +6 more , Topal F, Kabataş GS, Altuntaş C, Kabasakal L, Yazir Y, Cam ME
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41986822 · Publisher ↗
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) contributes notably to the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) through overlapping pathological mechanisms such as insulin resistance, amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and t...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) contributes notably to the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) through overlapping pathological mechanisms such as insulin resistance, amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and tau hyperphosphorylation. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have recently emerged as promising candidates for neuroprotection in metabolic disorders. The present work explored the potential therapeutic impact of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin (EMPA) compared with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine (RIV) in a T2DM-induced AD rat model. The T2DM-AD model was established using a high-fat diet in combination with subsequent low-dose streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) administration. Metabolic, behavioural, biochemical, molecular and histopathological parameters were assessed to evaluate disease progression and treatment efficacy. EMPA significantly improved glucose metabolism, lowered nonfasting blood glucose, enhanced oral glucose tolerance and restored insulin levels in peripheral and central tissues. EMPA ameliorated short-term and spatial memory deficits and reduced Aβ and phosphorylated tau levels in the brain, serum and pancreas and normalized acetylcholinesterase and glycogen kinase-3β expression. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses corroborated these neuroprotective effects, revealing reduced neurodegeneration and proteinopathy in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. EMPA exerts multifaceted neuroprotective and metabolic benefits in a T2DM-induced AD model, offering a therapeutic advantage over RIV by targeting both peripheral metabolic dysfunction and central neurodegeneration. By demonstrating that modulation of systemic glucose homeostasis can directly influence amyloid and tau pathology as well as cognitive outcomes, these findings provide important insight into the metabolic-neurodegenerative interface and highlight SGLT2 inhibition as a promising strategy for diabetes-associated cognitive decline and AD within the field of neuroscience.
Profiles of Women in Science: Dr. Tara Spires-Jones, Professor of Neurodegeneration at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Helmreich DL
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41986805 · Publisher ↗
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Resting-State Activity and Connectivity of Dopaminergic Key Areas and Outcome After a Severe Stroke.
Braaß H, Asmussen L, Backhaus W … +7 more , Higgen FL, Koch PJ, Wrobel P, Choe CU, Quandt F, Frey B, Schulz R
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41986547 · Full text
Brain reserve capacity has recently gained an increasing interest in stroke recovery research to provide a deeper understanding of outcome variability. For instance, global and focal parameters of brain health, such as w...
Brain reserve capacity has recently gained an increasing interest in stroke recovery research to provide a deeper understanding of outcome variability. For instance, global and focal parameters of brain health, such as white matter hyperintensity burden or the structural reserve of the cerebellum, have been linked to recovery. Recently, it was shown that the pre-stroke structural state of key areas of the dopaminergic network might influence outcomes after stroke. We reanalyzed resting-state functional MRI data of 19 severely impaired acute stroke patients and 19 healthy controls and computed amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) in and between eight subcortical and cortical areas of the nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic network of the contralesional hemisphere. Linear regression modeling was used to compare patients and controls and combine patients' ALFF and FC data with clinical follow-up data obtained after 3-6 months. The group comparison revealed a significant upregulation of ALFF in the prefrontal cortices, the ventral tegmental area, the nucleus accumbens, and the caudate nucleus. Additionally, for some regions and connections within the nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic network, ALFF and FC estimates were significantly linked to global disability and symptom burden at follow-up. These data indicate a link between the pre-stroke functional state of key areas and pathways of the contralesional dopaminergic system and recovery from a severe stroke, thereby adding novel functional insights to recent structural data and promoting the emerging concepts of brain reserve capacity after stroke.
Prelimbic Cortex Activity Predicts Anxiety-Like Behavior in the Elevated Plus Maze.
Smoak MA, Galvan KJ, Calvo DE … +2 more , Powers RE, Moschak TM
Eur J Neurosci · 2025 Aug · PMID 41979977 · Full text
The medial prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in emotional regulation, and its dysregulation is linked to anxiety disorders. In particular, the prelimbic cortex of the medial prefrontal cortex is thought to modulate...
The medial prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in emotional regulation, and its dysregulation is linked to anxiety disorders. In particular, the prelimbic cortex of the medial prefrontal cortex is thought to modulate anxiety-related behaviors, though its precise role remains debated. Here, we used endoscopic in vivo calcium imaging to assess prelimbic neuronal activity in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats performing in the Elevated Plus Maze, a widely used task to measure anxiety-like behavior. We found that animals that spent less time in the open arms exhibited higher prelimbic activity in the open arms, suggesting that heightened prelimbic activity may reflect greater anxiety or increased avoidance behavior. These results suggest that the prelimbic cortex may play a role in regulating the emotional response to anxiety-provoking situations, potentially influencing the tolerance for exposure to threatening environments.
Connection of Oscillation-Based Network Controllability With Cross-Frequency Coupling and Molecular Systems.
Tamura S
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41968593 · Publisher ↗
Controllability analysis provides a useful framework for assessing the ability of specific brain regions to modulate states in the other regions and is often applied to structural and functional magnetic resonance imagin...
Controllability analysis provides a useful framework for assessing the ability of specific brain regions to modulate states in the other regions and is often applied to structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Here, I explored frequency-dependent characteristics of oscillation-based controllability from resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) data, along with their associations with cross-frequency coupling and molecular systems. Resting-state MEG data were measured in 27 healthy participants. Whole-brain source activities were reconstructed, and functional connectivities among source points in several frequency bands were estimated using the phase-lag index (PLI). PLI-based average/modal controllability (AC/MC) and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) were calculated at each source location. Spatial correlations were also examined: (1) between each pair of frequency bands of AC/MCs, (2) between controllability and PAC, and (3) between AC/MCs and public positron emission tomography maps for various neurotransmission receptors. Results showed that low-frequency (delta, theta, and alpha-band) AC/MCs were spatially correlated with each other and with PACs when the frequency band of AC/MCs and PAC phase were the same. Beta- and gamma-band AC/MCs also exhibited significant spatial correlations. Low-frequency ACs were elevated in the temporal and occipital areas, whereas beta- and gamma-band ACs were mainly located in the medial part of the frontal and parietal areas. Molecular-informed analysis indicated frequency-specific associations of AC/MCs with distinct neurotransmitter systems. Taken together, the present study is the first to show that frequency-dependent spatial patterns of oscillation-based controllability are linked to cross-frequency coupling and molecular systems in local circuits.
Crosstalk Between Auditory and Visual information in Motor Learning and Savings.
White O
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41968588 · Full text
Sensorimotor adaptation relies on the integration of multisensory feedback, yet the specific contributions of auditory signals to this process remain poorly understood compared to vision. We tested 46 participants on a r...
Sensorimotor adaptation relies on the integration of multisensory feedback, yet the specific contributions of auditory signals to this process remain poorly understood compared to vision. We tested 46 participants on a reaching task using visual, auditory, or combined feedback about terminal errors. Participants alternated between feedback modalities during learning and relearning, revealing how adaptation transfers across sensory systems. Strikingly, although auditory feedback alone failed to support initial learning, prior visual learning enabled subsequent auditory adaptation. Further experiments showed that this cross-modal transfer stems from a memory of the learned reaching direction, acting as an attractor for movement, independent of error-based mechanisms, or explicit strategies. Our findings unveil a novel pathway for sensory integration in motor learning, with implications for designing cross-modal training protocols.
Intersegmental Modulation of Lower-Limb Corticospinal Excitability and Inhibition Induced by Upper-Limb Isometric Contractions: A Systematic Review.
de Mello Rosa GH, Pereira GS, da Silva Boni F … +2 more , da Silva ML, de Araújo JE
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41968539 · Full text
Intersegmental neural modulation refers to the influence of voluntary activation of one limb on the excitability and inhibitory balance of remote motor representations. Recent evidence suggests that high-intensity upper-...
Intersegmental neural modulation refers to the influence of voluntary activation of one limb on the excitability and inhibitory balance of remote motor representations. Recent evidence suggests that high-intensity upper-limb isometric contractions can transiently enhance corticospinal excitability and modulate intracortical or interhemispheric inhibition of lower-limb motor areas, yet the consistency of these findings remains unclear. This systematic review synthesized evidence on the effects of upper-limb isometric contractions on corticospinal excitability and inhibitory mechanisms of lower-limb motor representations in healthy adults. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searches were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL. Eligible studies included healthy adults (18-65 years) performing upper-limb isometric contractions quantified as percentage maximal voluntary contraction (%MVC), with outcomes assessing lower-limb corticospinal excitability or intracortical/interhemispheric inhibition. Two independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Seventeen studies (n = 351) met inclusion criteria. Most reported increases in lower-limb motor evoked potential amplitude during upper-limb contractions, particularly at intensities ≥ 70% MVC. Reductions in short-interval intracortical inhibition were common, indicating transient disinhibition of lower-limb primary motor cortex representations. Findings for interhemispheric inhibition were inconsistent, likely attributable to variability in contraction tasks and transcranial magnetic stimulation parameters. Upper-limb isometric contractions consistently facilitate lower-limb corticospinal excitability and reduce intracortical inhibition in healthy adults. Although mechanistic patterns converge, methodological heterogeneity limits confidence in the magnitude of effects. Future studies require standardized experimental protocols and adequate sample sizes to clarify intensity-response relationships and underlying neurophysiological mechanisms.
Neural and Behavioral Tracking of Musical Phrases Occurs Without Temporal Regularity.
Hołubowska ZA, Teng X, Larrouy-Maestri P
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41968537 · Full text
When listening to music or speech, people naturally divide continuous sound streams into segments for easier and faster processing of information. The segmentation boundaries are not random. Listeners agree on the points...
When listening to music or speech, people naturally divide continuous sound streams into segments for easier and faster processing of information. The segmentation boundaries are not random. Listeners agree on the points of segmentation, which are consistent with arbitrary rules-for example, those established by music theory-and often occur at regular time intervals. It is thus unclear whether phrase tracking relies on understanding of musical structure or merely on temporal predictability. To address this, we examined how non-musicians process both regular (temporally predictable) and irregular musical phrases derived from J.S. Bach's compositions. This approach preserved authentic musical structure while manipulating temporal predictability. We also included control stimuli matched in acoustic properties but lacking musical structure. Behavioral and EEG measures revealed that listeners could accurately detect phrase boundaries in both regular and irregular conditions. Neural activity, indexed by an increase in low-frequency EEG power, reflected the tracking structural boundaries regardless of temporal regularity. These findings demonstrate that musical segmentation depends fundamentally on implicit understanding of musical structure, rather than on temporal predictability alone.
The Role of Neuritin 1 in Synaptic Plasticity and Sensory Nerve Function: Integrator of Neurotrophic, Metabolic and Injury Signals.
Agrawal J, Escola MV, Jones SW … +2 more , Chapman V, Dajas-Bailador F
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41968203 · Full text
Neuritin 1 (NRN1) has emerged as a multifaceted regulator of synaptic plasticity, neuronal excitability and structural remodelling. This review synthesises knowledge of NRN1 function across the central and peripheral ner...
Neuritin 1 (NRN1) has emerged as a multifaceted regulator of synaptic plasticity, neuronal excitability and structural remodelling. This review synthesises knowledge of NRN1 function across the central and peripheral nervous systems, with a focus on its roles in sensory neurones and neuronal repair following injury. We discuss evidence that NRN1 interacts with classical neurotrophic pathways, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF), while engaging distinct cellular mechanisms that span activity-dependent trafficking, modulation of calcium and potassium channel function and regulated local axonal mRNA translation. Accumulating data indicate that NRN1 contributes to injury-induced plasticity and functional recovery through both cell-autonomous neuronal mechanisms and non-cell-autonomous signalling involving glial and stromal cells. In long-projecting sensory axons, regulated transport and local translation of Nrn1 mRNA position NRN1 as a spatially restricted effector of axonal growth, excitability and regeneration. Dysregulation of NRN1 expression and signalling has been implicated in pathological contexts including neurodegeneration, diabetic peripheral neuropathy and inflammatory pain, where restoration of NRN1 activity promotes axonal integrity, Schwann cell survival and neurotrophic support. Beyond neurons, NRN1 also modulates inflammatory and angiogenic pathways, including VEGF and CXCR4 signalling, linking neuronal plasticity to broader tissue and immune responses. Together, these findings support a model in which NRN1 acts as a molecular integrator of neurotrophic, metabolic and injury-associated signals, coordinating plasticity while also presenting potential routes to maladaptive sensitisation. We highlight key mechanistic and translational challenges that must be addressed to harness NRN1 biology therapeutically aimed at enhancing neuronal repair while limiting persistent sensory dysfunction.
Noninvasive Stimulation of Contralateral Primary Motor Cortex Reduces the Amount of Skill Generalization to the Untrained Arm: Primary Motor Cortex and Intermanual Skill Generalization.
Yadav G, Chauvaux M, Duque J
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41961556 · Full text
Successfully learned motor skills can generalize or transfer to the untrained arm. The neural substrate underlying such intermanual/interlimb generalization of newly acquired skill memory is unclear. Here, we focused on...
Successfully learned motor skills can generalize or transfer to the untrained arm. The neural substrate underlying such intermanual/interlimb generalization of newly acquired skill memory is unclear. Here, we focused on contralateral primary motor cortex (cM1), which is considered a key brain area for skill learning and memory consolidation. We probed the causal role of cM1 in intermanual skill generalization in a 2-day study involving right-handed young individuals (n = 31) who learned a novel motor skill reaching task. Immediately following (right-arm) learning, we delivered low-frequency (1 Hz, 1800 pulses) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to target left cM1 in one group of individuals (n = 15), whereas another group (n = 16) served as an active control in which ipsilateral M1 (iM1) was targeted. On the same day, we measured corticospinal excitability (CSE) to assess learning-induced and rTMS-induced neuroplastic changes occurring in the targeted M1s. Next day after 24-h, both groups were tested for intermanual skill generalization (left arm), followed by a brief test of intralimb retention (right arm). Our results show that stimulating cM1, versus iM1, reduced the amount of generalization to the untrained arm on the next day, without affecting its (re)learning ability or the follow-up retention performance of the trained arm. Further, low frequency rTMS stimulation in our study surprisingly induced a net facilitation in CSE-with higher facilitation tending to correlate to lower generalization in a subset of high learners in the cM1 group. Taken together, this study highlights the role of cM1 in skill generalization such that it seems to mediate the early transfer of learning to the untrained arm.
No Evidence of Perturbed Early Auditory Processing in Undergraduates With a History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Pablo JN, Kemmelmeier LL, Arciniega H … +4 more , Shires J, Torrens WA, Berryhill ME, Haigh SM
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41960899 · Publisher ↗
Most traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are classified as mild (mTBI), yet they can still be associated with lasting behavioral, sensory, cognitive, and neural changes. Recent studies show that individuals with a history of...
Most traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are classified as mild (mTBI), yet they can still be associated with lasting behavioral, sensory, cognitive, and neural changes. Recent studies show that individuals with a history of mTBI (hmTBI) experience auditory sensitivities (e.g., noise annoyance and hyperacusis). Here, we tested whether we could detect early auditory processing alterations in individuals with a hmTBI using well-characterized event-related potentials (ERPs) sensitive to auditory sensory responses, specifically the N100, mismatch negativity (MMN), and the deviance-related negativity (DRN) waveform. Seventeen participants with a self-reported hmTBI and 25 control participants completed a passive oddball task in which infrequent pitch-deviant tones were interleaved amidst frequent standard tones, during which EEG was recorded. We examined N100, MMN, and DRN amplitude and N100 and MMN latency, using frequentist and Bayesian analyses. Across analyses, there were no significant group differences. The Bayes factors provided anecdotal to moderate support for the null hypothesis. These results suggest that undergraduates with hmTBI may be more likely to exhibit preserved early auditory processing. Future research should examine whether later, top-down processes contribute to enduring auditory symptoms.
Analysis of Task Demand Effects on Visual and Auditory Mismatch Negativity (MMN) Across Autistic and Schizotypal Traits.
Mazer P, Pasion R, Rao ZK … +2 more , Silveira C, Ferreira-Santos F
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41960881 · Full text
Mismatch negativity (MMN) is an event-related potential component elicited by violations of sensory predictions and is widely interpreted, within the predictive processing framework, as a neural correlate of prediction e...
Mismatch negativity (MMN) is an event-related potential component elicited by violations of sensory predictions and is widely interpreted, within the predictive processing framework, as a neural correlate of prediction error. Disruptions in prediction error signalling have been proposed as a potential mechanism underlying the diverse cognitive and perceptual profiles observed in autism and schizophrenia spectrum conditions. In this study, 122 community participants completed auditory and visual oddball tasks with two levels of target detection difficulty while undergoing EEG recording, alongside self-report measures of autistic and schizotypal traits. We found that increased task difficulty significantly reduced MMN amplitude in both modalities, with large effect sizes for auditory (d = 1.826) and visual (d = 1.005) MMN, indicating a modulation by perceptual load. Although associations between MMN amplitude and trait dimensions were limited, emerging patterns suggest a potential dissociation between social and nonsocial autistic traits. These findings address key gaps in the literature, particularly the underrepresentation of visual MMN, and highlight the importance of multidimensional, cross-modal approaches to investigate prediction error mechanisms in neurodiverse populations.
Neural and Mechanical Adaptations During Static Stretching With Different Amplitudes.
Vieira DCL, Bottaro M, Hitier M … +2 more , Durigan JLQ, Babault N
Eur J Neurosci · 2026 Apr · PMID 41958299 · Full text
This study examined neural and mechanical responses at the onset of prolonged static stretching performed at different amplitudes, their progression during the stretching period, and alterations immediately after its com...
This study examined neural and mechanical responses at the onset of prolonged static stretching performed at different amplitudes, their progression during the stretching period, and alterations immediately after its completion. Thirteen healthy adults completed three randomized sessions: control (15-min rest in neutral ankle angle), 15 min of submaximal stretching (ROM - 5°), and 15 min of supramaximal stretching (ROM + 5°). Spinal excitability (H/M), evoked contractile properties (PTT), voluntary strength (MVC), passive torque, and maximal range of motion (ROM) were assessed at baseline (PRE), during stretching (T, T, T, and T), and immediately after stretching (POST). Spinal excitability decreased at stretch onset but progressively increased during stretching (T-T, p < 0.05), with greater facilitation in supramaximal (soleus and gastrocnemius, p < 0.001) than submaximal conditions (soleus only, p < 0.001). These changes were transient, returning to baseline at POST (p < 0.001). Passive torque increased during both stretching (p < 0.05); however, in supramaximal, it declined after 5 min and stabilized until 15 min (p = 0.001), while in submaximal, it declined only at 15 min (p = 0.043). Both conditions reduced PTT (p < 0.05), with slightly greater decreases in the supramaximal condition. MVC decreased similarly after both protocols (p < 0.05). ROM improved in both (p < 0.05), with slightly greater gains in the supramaximal condition. Static stretching amplitude modulates neuromechanical adaptations. Both supramaximal and submaximal protocols reduced voluntary strength but improved flexibility, with greater spinal excitability after the initial decrease and slightly larger ROM gains at supramaximal amplitude.
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