Biology subjects

Goosens, K. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Goosens, K. A..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

A modular, adaptable, and accessible implant kit for chronic electrophysiological recordings in rats

Electrophysiological implants enable exploration of the relationship between neuronal activity and behavior. These technologies evolve rapidly, with multiple iterations of recording systems developed and utilized. Chronic implants must address a litany of complications, including retention of high signal-to-noise ratio in probes and the ability to withstand excess force over the experimental period. To overcome these issues, we designed a chronic implant for rats. Our comprehensive protocol optimizes the entire implant process, from assembling and testing the probes (Neuropixels) to implantation. In addition to addressing the complications previously mentioned, our implant can vertically adjust probes with micron precision and is constructed using modular components, allowing it to be easily modified for various research contexts, electrophysiological recording systems, headstages, and probe types.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Computational Primitives for Cost-Benefit Decision-Making

Cost-benefit decision-making is a critical process performed by all organisms, including humans. Various factors, including risk1,2, uncertainty3, age4, sex5, and neuropsychiatric disorders6, can alter decision-making. To explore cost-benefit decision-making in humans, we developed a comprehensive task and analysis framework that presents participants with a series of approach-avoid trade-offs across a variety of contexts. With this system, we found that cost-benefit decisions in humans are made using a set of computational strategies that may be used for integrating costs and rewards, which we term decision-making primitives. We further show that these decision-making primitives are used by rodents performing a similar decision-making task7. We find that utilization of these primitives in both rodents and humans shifts based on factors like hunger and sex, and that individuals use primitives differently. We additionally demonstrate that using a naturally-inspired neural network architecture generates output that overlaps with human and rodent performance over a non-constrained neural network. This novel conceptual framework, by isolating discrete decision-making primitives, has potential to help us identify how different brain regions give rise to decision-making behavior, as well as to facilitate better diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders and development of naturally-inspired artificial intelligence systems of decision-making.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Gender-specific Single Transcript Level Atlas of Vasopressin and its Receptor (AVPR1a) in the Mouse Brain

Vasopressin (AVP), a nonapeptide synthesized predominantly by magnocellular hypothalamic neurons, is conveyed to the posterior pituitary via the pituitary stalk, where AVP is secreted into the circulation. Known to regulate blood pressure and water homeostasis, it also modulates diverse social behaviors, such as pair-bonding, social recognition and cognition in mammals including humans. Importantly, AVP modulates social behaviors in a sex-specific manner, perhaps, due to sex differences in the distribution in the brain of AVP and its main receptor AVPR1a. There is a corpus of integrative studies for the expression of AVP and AVPR1a in various brain regions, and their functions in modulating central and peripheral actions. In order to purposefully address sexually dimorphic and novel roles of AVP on central and peripheral functions through its AVPR1a, we utilized RNAscope to map Avp and Avpr1a single transcript expression in the mouse brain. As the most comprehensive atlas of AVP and AVPR1a in the mouse brain, this compendium highlights the importance of newly identified AVP/AVPR1a neuronal nodes that may stimulate further functional studies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Effect of Acute Alcohol Consumption in a Novel Rodent Model of Decision Making

BackgroundAlcohol use, especially at high consumption levels, can lead to irrational decision-making. In humans, this can lead to harmful outcomes often seen in the context of driving under the influence and or aggressive behavior. To date, the field is lacking comprehensive animal models to examine the impact of alcohol use on decision making in rodents, particularly to examine sex differences in choice behavior. To address this issue, the present study examined the effects of acute alcohol consumption during a behavioral approach-avoidance task that captures momentary changes in decision-making behavior and choice selection in female and male rats. MethodsOur team has developed a novel behavioral protocol involving a concurrent choice to consume four different concentrations of alcohol and sucrose combinations. During the task, female or male rats can approach or avoid drinking solutions in four distinct corners of our test apparatus. The solutions were prepared in inverse concentrations (higher sucrose was paired with lower alcohol and vice versa) so that the rodents pursue minimal alcohol use by consuming the higher sucrose concentrations or higher concentrations of alcohol by drinking the lower sucrose concentrations. The animals also have the option to avoid drinking alcohol by not approaching any of the drinking cups. Behavior and choice were tracked during task performance involving different solution concentrations of alcohol and sucrose. ResultsThe choice of consuming different concentrations of alcohol or sucrose resulted in sex-dependent differences in an approach-avoid trade-off pattern of behavior that was sensitive to different concentrations of alcohol/sucrose combinations. Notably, males were greatly affected by the introduction of alcohol into the task environment, approaching higher alcohol concentrations significantly more often than the non-alcohol containing options. In contrast, females choice patterns and task performance were largely unchanged during alcohol and non-alcohol containing tasks. Regardless of sex, we identify a novel method for identifying individual subject decision-making abnormalities during and after alcohol consumption. ConclusionsThis research reveals a novel approach for examining the effects of acute alcohol exposure during a trade-off task, with decision patterns being more impacted by alcohol use in males as compared to females. We also offer the field a novel approach for identifying individual abnormalities in decision making behavior with the presentation of alcohol. Future research can explore these abnormal patterns in both acute and chronic alcohol conditions to develop methods for identifying subjects at-risk for developing an alcohol use disorder and the deleterious impact of alcohol on rational decision making.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Model of a striatal circuit exploring biological mechanisms underlying decision-making during normal and disordered states

Decision-making requires continuous adaptation to internal and external contexts. Changes in decision-making are reliable transdiagnostic symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders. We created a computational model demonstrating how the striosome compartment of the striatum constructs a mathematical space for decision-making computations depending on context, and how the matrix compartment defines action value depending on the space. The model explains multiple experimental results and unifies other theories like reward prediction error, roles of the direct versus indirect pathways, and roles of the striosome versus matrix, under one framework. We also found, through new analyses, that striosome and matrix neurons increase their synchrony during difficult tasks, caused by a necessary increase in dimensionality of the space. The model makes testable predictions about individual differences in disorder susceptibility, decision-making symptoms shared among neuropsychiatric disorders, and differences in neuropsychiatric disorder symptom presentation. The model reframes the role of the striosomal circuit in neuroeconomic and disorder-affected decision-making. HighlightsO_LIStriosomes prioritize decision-related data used by matrix to set action values. C_LIO_LIStriosomes and matrix have different roles in the direct and indirect pathways. C_LIO_LIAbnormal information organization/valuation alters disorder presentation. C_LIO_LIVariance in data prioritization may explain individual differences in disorders. C_LI eTOCBeck et al. developed a computational model of how a striatal circuit functions during decision-making. The model unifies and extends theories about the direct versus indirect pathways. It further suggests how aberrant circuit function underlies decision-making phenomena observed in neuropsychiatric disorders.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Single Transcript Level Atlas of Oxytocin and the Oxytocin Receptor in the Mouse Brain

Oxytocin (OXT), a primitive nonapeptide known to regulate reproduction and social behaviors, is synthesized primarily in the hypothalamus and is secreted via hypophyseal-portal system of the posterior pituitary gland. Given that pituitary hormones, traditionally thought of as regulators of single targets, display an array of central and peripheral actions, OXT also directly affects bone and body composition. Its effects on bone remodeling are physiologically relevant, as elevated OXT levels during pregnancy and lactation could cause calcium mobilization from the maternal skeleton for intergenerational calcium transfer towards fetal bone growth. There is an equally large body of evidence that has established the presence of OXT receptors (OXTRs) in the brain through which central functions, such as social bonding, and peripheral functions, such as the regulation of body composition, can be exerted. To purposefully address the effects of OXT on the brain, we used RNAscope to map OXT and OXTR expression, at the single transcript level, in the whole mouse brain. Identification of brain nuclei with the highest OXT and OXTR transcript density will shed further light on functional OXT nodes that could be further interrogated experimentally to define new physiologic circuitry.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2024

An Atlas of Brain-Bone Sympathetic Neural Circuits

There is clear evidence that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) mediates bone metabolism. Histological studies show abundant SNS innervation of the periosteum and bone marrow--these nerves consist of noradrenergic fibers that immunostain for tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine beta hydroxylase, or neuropeptide Y. Nonetheless, the brain sites that send efferent SNS outflow to bone have not yet been characterized. Using pseudorabies (PRV) viral transneuronal tracing, we report, for the first time, the identification of central SNS outflow sites that innervate bone. We find that the central SNS outflow to bone originates from 87 brain nuclei, sub-nuclei and regions of six brain divisions, namely the midbrain and pons, hypothalamus, hindbrain medulla, forebrain, cerebral cortex, and thalamus. We also find that certain sites, such as the raphe magnus (RMg) of the medulla and periaqueductal gray (PAG) of the midbrain, display greater degrees of PRV152 infection, suggesting that there is considerable site-specific variation in the levels of central SNS outflow to bone. This comprehensive compendium illustrating the central coding and control of SNS efferent signals to bone should allow for a greater understanding of the neural regulation of bone metabolism, and importantly and of clinical relevance, mechanisms for central bone pain.

neuroscience↗