Cholinergic interneurons (CINs) are essential elements of striatal circuits and functions. Although acetylcholine signaling via muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) has been well studied, more recent data indicate that postsynaptic nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) located on striatal GABAergic interneurons (GINs) are equally critical. One example is that CIN stimulation induces large disynaptic inhibition of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) mediated by nAChR activation of GINs. Although these circuits are ideally positioned to modulate striatal output, the neurons involved are not definitively identified because of an incomplete mapping of CINs-GINs interconnections. Here, we show that CINs modulate four GINs populations via an intricate mechanism involving co-activation of presynaptic and postsynaptic mAChRs and nAChRs. Using optogenetics, we demonstrate the participation of tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing GINs in the disynaptic inhibition of SPNs via heterotypic electrical coupling with neurogliaform interneurons. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of CINs in regulating GINs microcircuits via complex synaptic/heterosynaptic mechanisms.

Voltage imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for recording membrane potential changes in living cells, offering a direct measurement of rapid neuronal events with high temporal precision. Since the brain is a three-dimensional circuit, it is essential to record signals across a volume. However, achieving effective three-dimensional voltage imaging over large neuronal populations remains challenging due to the need for high imaging speed, high signal-to-noise ratio, and extensive volume coverage. In this study, we demonstrate in vivo three-dimensional voltage imaging in larval zebrafish using oblique plane microscopy and QFDBD-QUAS-driven expression of the genetically encoded voltage indicator Ace-mNeon2-Kv2.1, achieving volumetric imaging rates of up to 200 volumes per second (VPS). This approach enables dye-free voltage imaging, simplifying experimental workflows and improving the reproducibility of in vivo voltage imaging experiments for investigating neuronal circuit dynamics in the living zebrafish animal model.

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is essential in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Recent studies highlight the significance of interactions between ACh and various neuromodulators in regulating complex behaviors. The ability to simultaneously image ACh and other neuromodulators can provide valuable information regarding the mechanisms underlying these behaviors. Here we developed a series of red fluorescent G-protein-coupled receptor activation-based ACh sensors, with a wide detection range and expanded spectral profile. The high-affinity sensor rACh1h reliably detects ACh release in various brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus and cortex. Moreover, rACh1h can be coexpressed with green fluorescent sensors to record ACh release together with other neurochemicals in various behavioral contexts using fiber photometry, mesoscopic imaging and two-photon imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution.

Basal Ganglia Advances is a collection highlighting research on the structure, function, and disorders of the basal ganglia. It features studies spanning neuroscience, clinical insights, and computational models, serving as a hub for advances in movement, cognition, and behavior.

Recent advances in the field of Voltage Imaging, with a special focus on new constructs and novel implementations.

Work related to place tuning, spatial navigation, orientation and direction. Mainly includes articles on connectivity in the hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex, and related areas.

High-resolution extracellular electrophysiology is the gold standard for recording spikes from distributed neural populations and is especially powerful when combined with optogenetics for manipulation of specific cell types with high temporal resolution. We integrated these approaches into prototype Neuropixels Opto probes, which combine electronic and photonic circuits. These devices pack 960 electrical recording sites and two sets of 14 light emitters onto a 70-μm-wide, 1-cm-long shank, allowing spatially addressable optogenetic stimulation with blue and red light. In mouse cortex, Neuropixels Opto probes delivered high-quality recordings together with spatially addressable optogenetics, differentially activating or silencing neurons at distinct cortical depths. In the mouse striatum and other deep structures, Neuropixels Opto probes delivered efficient optotagging, facilitating the identification of two cell types in parallel. Neuropixels Opto probes represent a promising tool for recording, identifying and manipulating neuronal populations.

As a smart drug carrier, photosensitive hydrogels enable controlled drug release. Here, using polydopamine (PDA) as a photothermal agent additive, a smart PDA/SA hydrogel was constructed by ionic crosslinking of sodium alginate (SA). The PDA/SA hydrogels displayed an ideal capacity for sustained ibuprofen (IBU) release. release experiments showed that the release of IBU from PDA/SA hydrogels was affected by NIR light. The amount of IBU released from the PDA/SA hydrogel after NIR irradiation was higher than that from the SA hydrogel without NIR irradiation. The PDA/SA hydrogel effectively removed hydroxyl and DPPH radicals, and the scavenging efficiency reached 95.7% and 87.6%. studies demonstrated that the PDA/SA hydrogels exhibited strong oxidation resistance and excellent cytocompatibility. The hydrogel easily adhered to the surface of skin and the adhesive strength reached 3.8 kPa. Rheological analysis revealed that PDA introduction increased the storage modulus (') in a frequency-dependent manner, indicative of enhanced physical crosslinking. In summary, the PDA/SA hydrogels possessed increased drug release ability under NIR light, and exhibited excellent cytocompatibility, and prominent antioxidant and tissue adhesion properties. This photosensitive PDA/SA hydrogel is expected to be widely used in the field of drug carriers.

We conducted a modified cluster randomized controlled trial examining Story Detective, a multicomponent listening comprehension intervention, with 351 students (47% girls; pretest Mage = 5.55; 39% Hispanic, 32% White, 16.5% Asian-American, 6.8% multiracial, 2.6% African-American) in the U.S. Classes were randomly assigned to Story Detective or business-as-usual conditions. Results showed significant effects for Story Detective on proximal vocabulary (g = 1.28), comprehension monitoring (g = 0.27), and distal grammatical knowledge (g = 0.26), but not on distal listening comprehension. Students with stronger initial vocabulary benefited more. Classroom observations revealed business-as-usual instruction included vocabulary and inferential questioning but lacked comprehension monitoring and grammatical instruction-precisely where significant effects occurred. Findings suggest multicomponent interventions improve specific skills, but transfer to comprehension may require extended implementation.