Comparative anatomy of brain metabolism in human and macaque (and other species). The dichotomy between glucose as fuel and glucose for tissue building is conserved across species. @moohebatpe.bsky.social and @misicbata.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We develop a new TMS targeting algorithm and test it in an open label trial in a treatment-resistant depression population with high comorbidities. Preprints by @rubykong92.bsky.social Phern-Chern Tor
1. doi.org/10.1101/2025...
2. doi.org/10.64898/202...
Our new approach ...
👀
Structure-function coupling in the human brainstem | bioRxiv www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Structure-function coupling in the human brainstem www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04...
Do you censor high motion frames in fMRI? In two preprints by @twktan.bsky.social @mandymejia.bsky.social, we find that we may be censoring too much!
doi.org/10.64898/202...
arxiv.org/html/2603.07...
Strict censoring leads to worse personalized TMS targets than no censoring, even with high motion!
Our lab has an opening for a full-time research assistant, to work on human neuroimaging techniques and the neuroscience of sleep! To apply: massgeneralbrigham.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/MGBExt...
Curious about how brain and body communicate, or how circuit states are regulated over seconds to hours? Read our paper about neuropeptide systems and how they contribute to neural architecture and function
#neuroskyence #compneuro #neuroscience
📢 New preprint from the lab🧠
▶️doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.12.710517
What does fMRI connectivity actually reflect at the neural level?
The natural intuition is: more neural activity = more connectivity! Using cortical perturbations we show this is not necessarily the case: sometimes less is more!
👇🧵
Our work on gene therapy for creatine transporter deficiency is now online in #Brain
➡️https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaf275
In this study we (i) characterize network-level and behavioral alterations in a common form of monogenic #autism and (ii) test whether gene therapy can rescue these deficits
🧵
The program is coming together well for the Brain Connectivity Workshop www.bcw2026.org/program. This will be our 25th year! Consider coming just before the #OHBM annual meeting. #Neuroscience
9⃣ Collectively, these results show that the neuropeptide receptors are highly organized across the human brain and closely intertwined with multiple features of brain structure and function.
paper: rdcu.be/e8zTZ
data + code: github.com/netneurolab/...
8⃣ Finally, we replicate all findings using alternative processing and analytical choices.
We also conduct multiple sanity check/domain knowledge experiments, including detailed analysis of peptides related to feeding, sexual dimorphism and vasomodulation.
7⃣ Evolutionary analysis indicates extended positive selection for neuropeptides in early mammals, suggesting that refinement of neuropeptides coincides with the emergence of neocortex and higher cognitive function.
6⃣ To investigate the behavioural consequences of distributed neuropeptide systems, we apply meta-analytic decoding to neuropeptide maps and show a gradient of functions that mirrors neuropeptide expression, from sensory-cognitive to reward and bodily functions.
5️⃣ Looking to related chemical signalling systems, we find that neuropeptides preferentially co-localize with metabotropic neurotransmitters, suggesting a brain-wide correspondence between slow-acting molecular signaling mechanisms.
4️⃣ How does neuropeptide organization align with the anatomy of the hypothalamus, the nexus of neuropeptide communication?
Across eight hypothalamic nuclei, we find a tuberal to mammillary gradient (tracking embryogenesis), and a mediolateral gradient (tracking cytoarchitecture).
3⃣ Most neuropeptide receptors are highly expressed either in cortex or subcortex, delineating an anatomical cortical-subcortical gradient. We find lots of 'textbook' hits (e.g. oxytocin in amygdala, leptin in hypothalamus, opioid in accumbens).
2⃣ Using gene transcription as a proxy, we reconstruct a topographic cortical and subcortical atlas of neuropeptide receptors for 38 neuropeptide receptors, across 14 different neuropeptide families.
1⃣ Neuropeptides are larger amino acid chains that are released from presynaptic axonal terminals into extra-cellular space, thereby acting over a wide range of post-synaptic boutons.
They modulate many functions, including sleep, pain, feeding, reward and social cognition.
Organization of neuropeptide systems in the human brain | doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Neuropeptides are functionally diverse signaling molecules in the brain and body.
@cebric.bsky.social curates an atlas of neuropeptide receptors and relates it to brain function @natneuro.nature.com 🧩 🧠 ⤵️
Just out in @natneuro.nature.com! 🧠
“Competitive interactions shape mammalian brain network dynamics and computation”
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Is large-scale brain communication purely cooperative — or is competition a core organizing principle?
We built 🧠 models to find out: read on🧵👇
🚀 We are hiring: a PhD position is available in my lab (gozzilab.it) at @iitalk.bsky.social, Italy. Project: large-scale brain network mapping in behaving mice using functional ultrasound imaging (FUSI).
📅 Deadline: March 31
🔗 tinyurl.com/4jtetxa9
Reshares appreciated 😊
9️⃣ Altogether, we present synaptic architecture as a fundamental component of regional dynamics and inter-regional connectivity.
Big thanks to Seth Grant, Zhen Qiu @gozziale.bsky.social @silviagini.bsky.social @bendfulcher.bsky.social @loopyluppi.bsky.social
Code + data: github.com/netneurolab/...
8️⃣ Finally we validate synapse density maps in an independent dataset, and confirm our findings are not driven by SNR, in-scanner motion, nor the spatial localization of different cell types.
7️⃣ Could short protein lifetime reflect greater synaptic flexibility necessary for more complex processing?
We find that short-lifetime PSD95 synapses (but not long-lifetime PSD95 nor SAP102) increase sc-fc coupling _specifically_ in awake (not anaesthetized) mice.
6️⃣ Recap till now:
More long-lifetime PSD95 synapse density = more variable signal = fewer functional connections
More SAP102 synapse density = high-amplitude events appear later = more structural connections
Short-lifetime PSD95 synapse density = ???
5️⃣ Does global network embedding also reflect synaptic architecture?
We find that SAP102 synapse density correlates with SC degree while long-lifetime PSD95 synapse density correlates with FC degree.
In both cases, longer synapse protein lifetime = stronger relationship.
4️⃣ Long-lifetime PSD5 synapse density is most associated with features of time-invariant stationarity, and SAP102 with features that pick up on the timing and presence of extreme events.
(short-lifetime PSD95 synapses are associated with next to nothing)
3️⃣ Now for the dynamics: panels a and b show example time-series pulled from regions with variable synapse density (↖️= low density, ↘️= high density).
We saw patterns but ran a time-series phenotyping analysis (measuring 6000+ features for each time-series) to confirm.
2️⃣ First we map 37 excitatory synapse types based on the synaptic scaffolding protein they express, broadly categorized as long-lifetime PSD95, short-lifetime PSD95, and SAP102 synapses.
(“Lifetime” refers to protein turnover rate - it’ll be important)