Excitatory signaling
Recent articles
Bespoke photometry system captures variety of dopamine signals in mice
The tool tracks the excitation of an engineered protein that senses dopamine’s absolute levels, including fast and slow fluctuations in real time, and offers new insights into how the signals change across the brain.

Bespoke photometry system captures variety of dopamine signals in mice
The tool tracks the excitation of an engineered protein that senses dopamine’s absolute levels, including fast and slow fluctuations in real time, and offers new insights into how the signals change across the brain.
What are recurrent networks doing in the brain?
The cortex is filled with excitatory local synapses, but we know little about their role in brain function. New experimental tools, along with ideas from artificial intelligence, are poised to change that.

What are recurrent networks doing in the brain?
The cortex is filled with excitatory local synapses, but we know little about their role in brain function. New experimental tools, along with ideas from artificial intelligence, are poised to change that.
Newfound gene network controls long-range connections between emotional, cognitive brain areas
The finding could help unravel gene regulatory networks and explain how genetic and environmental factors interact in neurodevelopmental conditions.

Newfound gene network controls long-range connections between emotional, cognitive brain areas
The finding could help unravel gene regulatory networks and explain how genetic and environmental factors interact in neurodevelopmental conditions.
As circuits wire up, interneurons take cues from surrounding cells
The inhibitory cells’ development, diversity and abundance in the cortex is directed in part by pyramidal cells, a new preprint suggests.

As circuits wire up, interneurons take cues from surrounding cells
The inhibitory cells’ development, diversity and abundance in the cortex is directed in part by pyramidal cells, a new preprint suggests.
Brain patterning in utero may be implicated in autism, other conditions
Genes tied to several conditions are expressed in regions that control neural stem cell fate within the first few months post-conception.

Brain patterning in utero may be implicated in autism, other conditions
Genes tied to several conditions are expressed in regions that control neural stem cell fate within the first few months post-conception.
Brain ‘chimeroids’ reveal person-to-person differences rooted in genetics
These fusions created from multiple donors’ organoids may help scale up comparative brain research.

Brain ‘chimeroids’ reveal person-to-person differences rooted in genetics
These fusions created from multiple donors’ organoids may help scale up comparative brain research.
Synaptic anomalies in autistic people support imbalance hypothesis
Increased excitatory and decreased inhibitory synapses in the prefrontal cortex of autistic people suggest broader impacts on brain function and connectivity.

Synaptic anomalies in autistic people support imbalance hypothesis
Increased excitatory and decreased inhibitory synapses in the prefrontal cortex of autistic people suggest broader impacts on brain function and connectivity.
Opioid receptors may guide formation of gut nervous system in zebrafish
Fish lacking functional copies of the receptors have fewer enteric neurons than usual, but the findings await further validation.

Opioid receptors may guide formation of gut nervous system in zebrafish
Fish lacking functional copies of the receptors have fewer enteric neurons than usual, but the findings await further validation.
RNA drug corrects calcium signaling in chimeric model of Timothy syndrome
The drug, tested in rats that have human neurons, could enter clinical testing as early as next year, researchers say.

RNA drug corrects calcium signaling in chimeric model of Timothy syndrome
The drug, tested in rats that have human neurons, could enter clinical testing as early as next year, researchers say.
Autism-linked perturbations converge on cell skeleton and RNA-binding proteins
The findings solidify the idea that autism-linked mutations affect brain activity by way of several key shared mechanisms.

Autism-linked perturbations converge on cell skeleton and RNA-binding proteins
The findings solidify the idea that autism-linked mutations affect brain activity by way of several key shared mechanisms.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Video catches microglia in the act of synaptic pruning
Live cell imaging reveals the clearest picture yet of this elusive process. Whether it’s something these cells do regularly remains up for debate.
Video catches microglia in the act of synaptic pruning
Live cell imaging reveals the clearest picture yet of this elusive process. Whether it’s something these cells do regularly remains up for debate.
Gabriele Scheler reflects on the interplay between language, thought and AI
She discusses how verbal thought shapes cognition, why inner speech is foundational to human intelligence and what current artificial-intelligence models get wrong about language.
Gabriele Scheler reflects on the interplay between language, thought and AI
She discusses how verbal thought shapes cognition, why inner speech is foundational to human intelligence and what current artificial-intelligence models get wrong about language.
Accepting “the bitter lesson” and embracing the brain’s complexity
To gain insight into complex neural data, we must move toward a data-driven regime, training large models on vast amounts of information. We asked nine experts on computational neuroscience and neural data analysis to weigh in.

Accepting “the bitter lesson” and embracing the brain’s complexity
To gain insight into complex neural data, we must move toward a data-driven regime, training large models on vast amounts of information. We asked nine experts on computational neuroscience and neural data analysis to weigh in.