Decoding the brainstem: A new window into brain–body–mind interactions

Researchers from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences developed an innovative deep-brain imaging method to study key brainstem structures

2025-05-02

(Press-News.org) Okazaki, Japan – The communication between the brain and bodily organs is fundamental to emotion regulation and overall mental health. The nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in the brainstem is a critical hub structure mediating this interaction via the vagus nerve. Despite its importance, the NTS's deep location has historically posed challenges for observation in living animals.

In a study recently published in Cell Reports Methods (April 4, 2025), the research team has developed the live NTS imaging method (named “D-PSCAN”, or Double-Prism-based brainStem imaging under Cerebellar Architecture and Neural circuits). This novel deep-brain imaging technique enables high-resolution, minimally invasive visualization of the NTS neural activity in living mice.

New Minimally Invasive Technique Unveiled.

The D-PSCAN method is based on the double microprism assembly carefully and systematically implanted between the cerebellum and brainstem, preserving cerebellar function while providing a broad and detailed view of the NTS.

“One major challenge in studying the NTS is its deep location beneath the cerebellum, which has made observation in living animals difficult.” explains lead author Masakazu Agetsuma. “Previously, some approaches involved removing the cerebellum to access the NTS, but this posed a major limitation: the cerebellum, major motor coordination center, has also been recognized as important for emotional regulation. Therefore, a method to observe the NTS while preserving cerebellar function has been needed.”

Detailed activity of the NTS can now be observed.

The research team evaluated the D-PSCAN method by investigating the NTS's response to the electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve, which conveys signals from internal organs to the NTS. They observed the specific thresholds of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) intensity required to elicit neural responses in the NTS. They also observed that varying stimulation parameters causes distinct patterns of neural activation, including sensitization or, conversely, inhibitory effects.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been clinically used for drug-resistant epilepsy and is currently under investigation as a treatment for depression and other psychiatric and neurological disorders. Therefore, these results highlight the potential of the D-PSCAN method for gaining valuable insights into optimizing VNS parameters for therapeutic applications.

To further investigate NTS function under more physiological conditions than electrical stimulation, the research team applied the D-PSCAN method to examine its response to the gut hormone cholecystokinin, which is naturally released after feeding. As a result, they successfully detected NTS neural activity evoked by cholecystokinin.

Future prospects

“The brain-body interaction plays a critical role in emotion regulation, and gaining a deeper understanding of this function is expected to contribute both to the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and to the advancement of mental health and well-being.” says Agetsuma. “The D-PSCAN can offer a new approach to elucidate brain–body–mind interactions, and represents a valuable research tool for basic neuroscience to clinical applications.”

The implications of this research extend beyond the study of emotion regulation. The NTS receives input from various organs, including the heart and gut, and is involved in diverse functions such as appetite regulation, energy metabolism, and gut microbiota. The in vivo NTS imaging technique developed in this study, D-PSCAN, is expected to be widely applied across these research areas.

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Centuries-old Austrian mummy found to be exceptionally well preserved thanks to unusual embalming method

2025-05-02

For centuries, many cultures around the world embalmed their dead, often for religious reasons. Accordingly, embalming methods differ, but not all of them are studied equally well. In a first report of a previously undocumented embalming method, an international team of researchers has analyzed a mummy from a small Austrian village. Detailed analyses provided insights into little-known mummification techniques and allowed them to identify the body. “The unusually well-preserved mummy in the church crypt of St Thomas am Blasenstein is the corps of a local parish vicar, ...

Medicaid unwinding disrupted kids’ and young adults’ access to chronic disease medicine

2025-05-02

Children and young adults with depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, asthma and epilepsy can get great relief from medications to control their symptoms, helping them stay in school or work and prepare for their futures. But they should keep taking those medications regularly to get the best results; interruptions can cause flare-ups of these chronic health conditions. Now, a new study suggests that such interruptions happened more often in states that had the biggest drops in Medicaid enrollment during the recent “unwinding” process. That process, which brought to an end the special Medicaid eligibility rules made at the start ...

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: Monoclonal antibody nirsevimab provides strong real-world protection against severe RSV in infants, suggests meta-analysis

2025-05-01

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: Monoclonal antibody nirsevimab provides strong real-world protection against severe RSV in infants, suggests meta-analysis Nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody, is highly effective in real-world conditions at preventing severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants, suggests a meta-analysis published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. RSV is a leading cause of serious respiratory illness in young children particularly in the first six months of life, responsible for millions of hospitalisations of children ...

Is your heart aging too fast?

2025-05-01

Is your heart aging too fast? MRI technology reveals unhealthy lifestyles add decades Peer reviewed – observational study - humans Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have developed a revolutionary new way of uncovering the ‘true age’ of your heart using MRI. Research published today shows how an MRI scan can reveal your heart’s functional age - and how unhealthy lifestyles can dramatically accelerate this figure. It is hoped that the findings could transform how heart disease is diagnosed - offering a lifeline to millions by catching problems before they become deadly. The team say their cutting-edge technique ...

New global index defines what makes digital economies resilient and inclusive

2025-05-01

Digital Planet, published by The Fletcher School at Tufts University has unveiled the Digital Evolution Index, charting the progress of 125 economies around the world have made in advancing their digital economies, developing artificial intelligence (AI), and integrating connectivity into the lives of billions. This latest edition of the index, developed in collaboration with Mastercard, illustrates global digital development, provides insights into the key factors driving change and momentum, and explores the implications for economies grappling with the aftermath of a global pandemic, ...

Biologist Scott Solomon named Piper Professor for excellence in teaching

2025-05-01

Rice University’s Scott Solomon, a biologist, science communicator and teaching professor in the Department of Biosciences, has been named a 2025 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, one of the most prestigious accolades awarded to educators in Texas. The award honors professors for exceptional teaching and service to students and is given annually to 10 faculty members from colleges and universities across the state. Each recipient receives a $5,000 honorarium and a place in the distinguished roster of Piper Professors, which has recognized outstanding educators since 1958. Solomon, who has taught at Rice for more than 15 years, ...

New research analysis predicts that reductions in Medicaid access could result in poorer health outcomes, including increased deaths

2025-05-01

A new analysis provides evidence that reductions in access to Medicaid could increase deaths and cause financial hardship to people currently covered under an expansion of Medicaid that was implemented under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health insurance to qualifying individuals who are unable to obtain it through their employer, private insurance companies, or Medicare, the public insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities. About two in five births in the United States ...

Zinc-transporting protein contributes to aggressive growth of brain tumor, OU researchers find

2025-05-01

OKLAHOMA CITY – In a study published Wednesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), University of Oklahoma researchers detail their discoveries about why the brain tumor glioblastoma is so aggressive. Their findings center on ZIP4, a protein that transports zinc throughout the body and sets off a cascade of events that drive tumor growth. About half of all malignant brain tumors are glioblastomas, the deadliest form of brain cancer with a median survival rate of 14 months. “Surgery ...

AI system targets tree pollen behind allergies

2025-05-01

Imagine trying to tell identical twins apart just by looking at their fingerprints. That’s how challenging it can be for scientists to distinguish the tiny powdery pollen grains produced by fir, spruce and pine trees. But a new artificial intelligence system developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Nevada and Virginia Tech is making that task a lot easier—and potentially bringing big relief to allergy sufferers. “With more detailed data on which tree species are most allergenic and ...

$2.7 million NIH grant to fund first comprehensive syphilis test

2025-05-01

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the United States, syphilis cases rose by nearly 80% between 2018 and 2023, with 209,253 cases reported in the latest year of data. The infection, which can be transmitted sexually or passed from mother to infant during birth, is curable but only if diagnosed quickly. Left untreated, syphilis can progress from painless lesions to brain and cardiovascular damage. Despite the first recorded outbreak of syphilis occurring more than 500 years ago — with some researchers theorizing that it has plagued humans for thousands of years — there still isn’t a way to quickly and reliably test for active ...

Decoding the brainstem: A new window into brain–body–mind interactions

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: