Journal of Neurophysiology

Beyond the sleep-amyloid interactions in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis

Numerous studies have linked disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms with amyloid-β (Aβ), a key pathological hallmark in Alzheimer's disease (AD). While previous evidence suggests that Aβ initiates AD pathogenesis, tau, another major hallmark of AD, seems to drive neurodegeneration. Recent studies imply that sleep-wake cycles affect brain tau more significantly than Aβ levels, leading to accelerated AD progression and cognitive decline. In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Shen Ning (Boston University; Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Mass General and Harvard) and Mehdi Jorfi (Mass General and Harvard) about their NeuroForum article, which discusses the importance of these recent findings.

Beyond the sleep-amyloid interactions in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis
Shen Ning and Mehdi Jorfi
Journal of Neurophysiology, Published online March 13, 2019.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00118.2019.

A muscle-activity-dependent gain between motor cortex and EMG

How does the motor cortex, with neurons that have a limited activity range, function effectively under the widely varying conditions required during everyday life? In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Dr. Stephanie Naufel Thacker, Dr. Josh Glaser, and Dr. Lee Miller about their recent study out of Northwestern University, which explored this question using EMG over a range of conditions. This article was also chosen for the January 2019 issue APSselect. Listen to learn about nonlinearity in the motor system, brain-computer interface decoders, EMG methodology, and more!

A muscle-activity-dependent gain between motor cortex and EMG
Stephanie Naufel, Joshua I. Glaser, Konrad P. Kording, Eric J. Perreault, and Lee E. Miller
Journal of Neurophysiology, Published online December 26, 2018.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00329.2018.

Development of human electrophysiological brain networks

How do complex brain networks develop during adolescence? In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Dr. Paul Briley and Dr. Peter Liddle (both from the University of Nottingham) about their recent study which employed magnetoencephalography to assess beta frequency oscillations in higher-order cognitive and sensory networks. This article was also chosen for the December 2018 issue APSselect. Listen to learn about the functional connectivity, brain development, MEG methodology, and more!

Development of human electrophysiological brain networks
Paul M. Briley, Elizabeth B. Liddle, Madeleine J. Groom, Helen J. F. Smith, Peter G. Morris, Giles L. Colclough, Matthew J. Brookes, and Peter F. Liddle
Journal of Neurophysiology, Published online December 7, 2018.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00293.2018.

Highlights from the 28th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neural Control of Movement

The Journal of Neurophysiology was a sponsor of the 2018 Society for the Neural Control of Movement meeting, which was held May 1-4 in Santa Fe, NM, USA. The journal is also publishing an editorial related to this meeting. In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with two of the authors of this editorial: Raeed Chowdhury (Northwestern University) and Teja Bollu (Cornell University). Listen to learn about some of the big takeaways from NCM 2018!

Highlights from the 28th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neural Control of Movement
Kevin A. Mazurek, Michael Berger, Tejapratap Bollu, Raeed H. Chowdhury, Naveen Elangovan, Irene A. Kuling, M. Hongchul Sohn
Journal of Neurophysiology, Article in Press.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00475.2018.

Effects of the estrous cycle on neural properties in the nucleus accumbens core

Do sex hormone cycles to alter intrinsic neural electrophysiological properties in the AcbC? In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Stephanie Proano and Dr. John Meitzen (both from North Carolina State University) about a recent study which explored the effect of the female estrous cycle on medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core in adult rats. Listen to learn about neural sex differences, medium spiny neurons, female hormone cycles, and more!

Estrous cycle-induced sex differences in medium spiny neuron excitatory synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability in adult rat nucleus accumbens core
Stephanie Proano, Hannah J. Morris, Lindsey M Kunz, David M Dorris, and John Meitzen
Journal of Neurophysiology, Article in Press.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00263.2018.

Learning by heart

Is it easier to learn at certain phases in the cardiac cycle? In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Tomi Waselius, Dr. Jan Wikgren, Dr. Markku Penttonen, and Dr. Miriam Nokia (all from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland) about their recent study which explored this question in both humans and rabbits. Their article was also chosen for July's issue APSselect. Listen to learn more about the methodologies which these researchers employed, and their findings on how the cardiac cycle modulates higher order processing of external stimuli.

Learning by heart: cardiac cycle reveals an effective time window for learning
Tomi Waselius, Jan Wikgren, Hanna Halkola, Markku Penttonen, and Miriam S. Nokia
Journal of Neurophysiology, Published online August 15, 2018.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00128.2018.

Medium spiny neurons and pair bonding in the prairie vole

Does an individual's preference for monogamy have some connection to the electrophysiological properties of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens? In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Jaime Willett (North Carolina State University) and Dr. Andrea Vogel (Cornell University) about their recent study which explored this question in the prairie vole, one of the few animal models which demonstrate pair bonding. Their article was also chosen for March's APSselect. Listen to learn about prairie vole social behavior, MSN excitability, methodologies for quantifying partner preference, and more!

Nucleus accumbens core medium spiny neuron electrophysiological properties and partner preference behavior in the adult male prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster
Jaime A. Willett, Ashlyn G. Johnson, Andrea R. Vogel, Heather B. Patisaul, Lisa A. McGraw, and John Meitzen
Journal of Neurophysiology, Published online April 18, 2018.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00737.2017.

May the power be with you: Highly powered studies in neuroscience

Listen as Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Johannes Algermissen (Donders Institute, Radboud University) and David Mehler (Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre) about a new NeuroForum which discusses recent work on statistical power in neuroscience studies. They also discuss recent developments meant to address power problems, and offer suggestions to continue the trend of increasing power. Learn about statistical models, effect sizes, new techniques for data collection, career advancement in science, and more!

May the power be with you: Are there highly powered studies in neuroscience, and how can we get more of them?
Johannes Algermissen and David Marc Anton Mehler
Journal of Neurophysiology, Article in Press.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00765.2017.

Neurogenesis: Remembering all or forgetting some

In this new podcast based on a recent NeuroForum article, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates talks with Dr. Shikha Jain Goodwin (University of Minnesota, soon to be University of Pittsburgh) about a minireview of recent studies which explore what happens to memories formed before neurogenesis in the hippocampus. They also discuss the process of submitting a NeuroForum article, and the experience of transitioning from PhD studies to post-doctoral research. Listen to learn about memory maintenance, conflicting results, career advancement in science, and more!

Neurogenesis: Remembering all or forgetting some
Shikha Jain Goodwin
Journal of Neurophysiology, Article in Press.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00428.2017.

Differentiating wakefulness from unconsciousness

What is consciousness, and how can we definitively determine whether one is conscious or unconscious? In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates (University of Pittsburgh) talks with Dr. A. Vania Apkarian (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine) about new study which investigated these questions by computing a variety of neural information measures in awake and anesthetized rats. This study was also chosen for February's issue of APSselect. Listen to learn about states of consciousness, confounds for neural metrics, BOLD variability, and more!

BOLD temporal variability differentiates wakefulness from anesthesia-induced unconsciousness
Alexis T. Baria, Maria V. Centeno, Mariam E. Ghantous, Pei C. Chang, Daniele Procissi, and A. Vania Apkarian
Journal of Neurophysiology, published online March 1, 2018.
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00714.2017.