Animal models
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
![Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lede-motormodules-1200-1024x692.webp)
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
Temperature tunes circadian timing in some desert mammals
Light has hogged all the attention in chronobiology research—but now, in camel, goat and mole rat experiments, temperature takes the lead.
![A man walks a dromedary camel down an outdoor walkway.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/camel-walking-1200-1024x692.webp)
Temperature tunes circadian timing in some desert mammals
Light has hogged all the attention in chronobiology research—but now, in camel, goat and mole rat experiments, temperature takes the lead.
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.
![Research image of enteric neurons in zebrafish.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Fig2D-fish-1200-1024x692.webp)
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.
Widely used calcium imaging protocol can lead to spurious results, new paper cautions
The technique, which measures calcium currents as a proxy for neuronal firing, sometimes reports unusual and potentially misleading waves of activity in the hippocampus.
Widely used calcium imaging protocol can lead to spurious results, new paper cautions
The technique, which measures calcium currents as a proxy for neuronal firing, sometimes reports unusual and potentially misleading waves of activity in the hippocampus.
2024 Kavli Prize awarded for research on face-selective brain areas
Studies by Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald and Doris Tsao revealed how the brains of humans and other primates identify faces and helped establish an understanding of brain specialization.
![Black-and-white headshots of Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald and Doris Tsao.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/KavliPrize-1200-rearranged-1024x692.webp)
2024 Kavli Prize awarded for research on face-selective brain areas
Studies by Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald and Doris Tsao revealed how the brains of humans and other primates identify faces and helped establish an understanding of brain specialization.
Connectivity takes U-turn in people with rare autism-linked mutations
Patterns of brain connectivity shift during puberty in people with deletion of the 22q11.2 chromosomal region.
![Research image of brain activity](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1200_connectivity-1024x683.png)
Connectivity takes U-turn in people with rare autism-linked mutations
Patterns of brain connectivity shift during puberty in people with deletion of the 22q11.2 chromosomal region.
How inbreeding almost tanked an up-and-coming model of Alzheimer’s disease
But new genetic analyses and behavioral assays have made the Chilean degu a viable model again, researchers say.
![Picture of two Degus in a cage.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DeguLede-1200-1024x692.webp)
How inbreeding almost tanked an up-and-coming model of Alzheimer’s disease
But new genetic analyses and behavioral assays have made the Chilean degu a viable model again, researchers say.
Rat neurons thrive in a mouse brain world, testing ‘nature versus nurture’
Neurons from the two rodents can wire up together to form functional circuits—all while maintaining some species-specific properties, two new studies show.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fig6A-1200-1024x692.webp)
Rat neurons thrive in a mouse brain world, testing ‘nature versus nurture’
Neurons from the two rodents can wire up together to form functional circuits—all while maintaining some species-specific properties, two new studies show.
Neuroscience needs a research-video archive
Video data are enormously useful and growing rapidly, but the field lacks a searchable, shareable way to store them.
![An illustration of a figure looking at a flow chart](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Froemke-Databrary-1200-1024x692.webp)
Neuroscience needs a research-video archive
Video data are enormously useful and growing rapidly, but the field lacks a searchable, shareable way to store them.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
New ‘decoder’ tool translates functional neuroimaging terms across labs
The compendium of brain-parcellation atlases makes it possible to compare large-scale network data, which often involves different and overlapping network names.
![Research image of a variety of brain atlases.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Fig2B-1200-1024x692.webp)
New ‘decoder’ tool translates functional neuroimaging terms across labs
The compendium of brain-parcellation atlases makes it possible to compare large-scale network data, which often involves different and overlapping network names.
CNTNAP2 variants; trait trajectories; sensory reactivity
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 22 July.
![Research image showing connectivity in brain regions in female mice with and without a UBE3A variant.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/autism-sexbias-1200-1024x692.webp)
CNTNAP2 variants; trait trajectories; sensory reactivity
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 22 July.