Biology subjects

Roshchina, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Roshchina, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

The parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus orchestrates coordinated skeletomotor, autonomic, and aversive state transitions

The parafascicular nucleus (Pf), part of the intralaminar thalamic nuclei, has been implicated in diverse functions such as attention, nociception, and behavioral flexibility, yet its precise contributions to behavior remain poorly defined. In this study, we used optogenetics in male and female mice to study the role of Pf projection neurons using high-resolution and continuous measures to quantify both skeletomotor and autonomic behavioral outputs as well as motivational valence. We showed that selective Pf stimulation resulted in wide-ranging effects, including ipsiversive turning, facial and whisker movements, pupil constriction, and heart rate reduction. Finally, we found that Pf stimulation could be highly aversive, as mice showed strong place aversion to areas where stimulation was delivered. Together our results indicate that Pf outputs can ultimately influence both skeletomotor outputs like turning and autonomic outputs like pupil constriction. The latter parasympathetic responses may be directly related to the role of the Pf in regulating motivational and emotional valence. These findings broaden our understanding of Pf function and suggest it may serve as a major hub for the integration of behavioral state feedback and top-down command of a variety of effectors. Significance statementThis study demonstrates that the parafascicular nucleus (Pf) of the thalamus plays a critical role in coordinating both skeletomotor and autonomic responses, as evidenced by optogenetic stimulation in mice triggering rapid ipsilateral turning, facial movements, pupil constriction, and heart rate reduction. The findings reveal that Pf activation induces an aversive state, highlighting its involvement in motivational valence. These insights expand our understanding of Pfs top-down regulatory influence on behavior.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Elucidating an anterior cingulate circuit for self-initiated actions and rescue of Parkinsonian akinesia

Dopamine (DA) depletion is known to result in Parkinsonian symptoms such as the inability to initiate movements (akinesia). While Parkinsonian akinesia is traditionally associated with reduced DA signaling in the striatum, the contribution of cortical regions that also receive DA projections and project to the striatum remains unclear. Here, we identify a previously unexplored cortical circuit involving D1-like dopamine receptor-expressing neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that is critical for initiating goal-directed movements. We find that a selective activation of ACC-D1+ neurons can flexibly drive targeted movement and locomotion even in akinetic mice after dopamine depletion or receptor antagonism. These findings uncover a cortical mechanism for movement initiation and offer promising new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinsonian akinesia.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Striatal Pathways for Action Counting and Steering

The basal ganglia (BG) are critical for coordinating voluntary movements, yet their precise contribution remains a subject of debate. Using a novel operant counting task, we trained mice to perform a specific number of lever presses to obtain a reward, enabling quantification of continuous kinematics, discrete actions, and action sequences. Optogenetic manipulations of direct pathway (dSPN) and indirect pathway (iSPN) striatal projection neurons exert bidirectional and dissociable influences on both movement steering and action count progression: activation of dSPNs extends press sequences as if resetting an internal accumulator, whereas activation of iSPNs prematurely terminates them, mimicking completion of the count. In vivo calcium imaging reveals distinct yet intermixed populations of dSPNs and iSPNs representing either lever approach or count progression, with ramping activity patterns consistent with accumulation and discharge dynamics. Importantly, the difference between dSPN and iSPN population activity scales with proximity to both spatial and count-based goals, unifying discrete and continuous control within a push-pull model. These findings establish the BG as a central circuit for integrating kinematic and sequential representations to monitor and steer progress toward behavioral goals.

neuroscience↗