#synapticplasticity — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #synapticplasticity, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: August 5, 2026 at 09:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Miniature brain models reveal varied electrical activity in different types of autism
Researchers have grown miniature, three-dimensional brain models from the cells of autistic and nonautistic individuals to study how their neural networks communicate. The models demonstrated that different types of autism spectrum disorder produce vastly different patterns of electrical activity, highlighting the wide biological variety underlying the condition. The small study was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition involving differences in social communication and repetitive behaviors. The biological roots of the condition remain difficult to map out. While many cases have no known genetic cause, a portion of autistic individuals have what is known as syndromic autism. This form of the condition is linked to specific single-gene mutations that alter how brain cells develop and communicate.
Because traditional animal models often fail to accurately reflect the specific features of human brain development, researchers have increasingly turned to brain organoids. These are tiny, self-organizing bundles of tissue grown from human stem cells. Brain organoids replicate the early stages of human brain development while retaining the exact genetic code of the person who provided the original cells.
Lead researchers Nisim Perets and Liya Kerem, along with a team of colleagues at Itay and Beyond and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, wanted to see if organoids could reveal the functional differences between various forms of autism. They focused on comparing the baseline electrical activity and network connections among several distinct genetic subtypes of the disorder. Extrapolating how a single mutated gene alters whole-brain activity is challenging in living humans, making these laboratory-grown models highly useful for observing live neural networks in action.
The researchers collected urine samples from fifteen human participants. Four participants were neurotypical, serving as a control group. Ten participants had syndromic autism stemming from five different genetic mutations, including the genes SHANK3, SCN2A, STXBP1, PPP2R5D, and GRIN2B. One participant had idiopathic autism, meaning their condition had no identified genetic origin.
Using epithelial cells extracted from the urine, the team reprogrammed the cells back into a basic stem cell state. They then placed these induced pluripotent stem cells into special nutrient baths, guiding them to grow into more than four hundred brain organoids. To ensure the models were developing correctly, the researchers analyzed the cells using genetic sequencing and fluorescent imaging. This confirmed that the organoids contained the right mix of brain cells, including neural progenitors, developing neurons, and mature cortical cells.
After growing the organoids for about two months, the researchers placed them onto special plates equipped with microscopic electrodes. These multi-electrode arrays allowed the team to record the spontaneous electrical signals passing between the neurons. The researchers tracked metrics like the firing rate, the size of the electrical spikes, and the frequency of synchronized bursts across the neural network.
The resting electrical activity in the autism models differed substantially from the neurotypical control models. The organoids derived from the participant with idiopathic autism exhibited a generally hypoactive profile. They showed lower firing rates, weaker signal strengths, and fewer bursts of activity compared to the control group.
Conversely, organoids derived from most of the syndromic autism subtypes showed higher firing rates than the control group. Organoids from participants with SCN2A mutations had varying firing rates but consistently produced weaker electrical signal strengths. This initial observation confirmed that genetic differences lead to physical differences in how brain cells spontaneously fire.
Next, the research team tested how the neural networks responded to new stimuli, a process known as short-term synaptic plasticity. In a living brain, neural networks adapt to incoming information by temporarily adjusting their sensitivity. They might dampen their activity, known as short-term depression, or temporarily boost it, known as short-term potentiation. The researchers delivered brief electrical pulses to the organoids and recorded the changes in activity over the following five minutes.
The high-frequency stimulation mostly caused the networks to dampen their activity. However, organoids from patients with STXBP1, SHANK3, and SCN2A mutations displayed abnormally high levels of short-term depression and reduced potentiation compared to the control group. Organoids with GRIN2B mutations showed the opposite trend, with slightly elevated potentiation and reduced depression. These varied responses suggest that different genetic mutations disrupt the brain’s ability to adapt to incoming signals in entirely different ways.
The researchers also mapped the functional connectivity of the networks before and after the stimulation. In response to the electrical pulses, the neurotypical organoids displayed a stable, predictable decrease in network connectivity. Organoids from the autism groups displayed highly erratic responses.
The neural networks in organoids with a STXBP1 gene mutation collapsed almost immediately after stimulation, failing to recover normally. Models with a PPP2R5D mutation experienced a sharp, sudden drop in connectivity. Models with GRIN2B mutations showed an inconsistent, fluctuating response across the entire observation period. The organoids representing idiopathic autism barely changed at all, showing a rigidity not seen in the control group.
To visualize these vast differences, the researchers mapped eighteen separate electrical characteristics onto a three-dimensional graph using a mathematical technique called principal component analysis. Organoids grown from the same person behaved similarly, and the entire neurotypical control group clustered tightly together. The organoids from the autistic participants scattered widely across the graph.
Even organoids grown from patients sharing the exact same genetic mutation sometimes displayed different patterns of electrical activity. One participant with a GRIN2B mutation had a clinical history of seizures, and their corresponding organoids exhibited abnormal rhythmic bursting. Another participant with the same GRIN2B mutation did not have a history of seizures, and their organoids did not display that specific bursting pattern.
While these three-dimensional models provide a window into early brain development, they do not replicate the full structural architecture of a mature human brain. The study also relied on a small sample size of fifteen patients, with only a single individual representing the idiopathic autism category. The association between specific electrical patterns in the organoids and clinical symptoms like seizures will require testing in larger patient cohorts to verify that the results were not statistically anomalous.
The researchers noted that tracking functional electrical differences in brain organoids could help classify different subtypes of autism based on brain circuitry rather than just behavioral observations. Because autism encompasses such a wide array of biological mechanisms, grouping patients by how their neural networks actually function might eventually guide the development of tailored therapeutic interventions.
The study, “Patient-derived brain organoids reveal divergent neuronal activity across subpopulations of autism spectrum disorder,” was authored by Nisim Perets, Liya Kerem, Nir Waiskopf, Noa Horesh, Itay Goldman, Jasmine Avichzer, Doron Bril, William Tobelaim, Milcah Barashi, Liat David, and Ariel Tenenbaum.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AutismResearch #BrainOrganoids #NeuralActivity #AutismSubtypes #GeneticAutism #Neuroscience #SynapticPlasticity #BrainConnectivity #TranslationalPsychiatry #NeuralNetworks
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🧠 New paper by Chiu et al: #SST #interneurons do not only suppress #dendritic signaling. Via tonic activation of α5 #GABA receptors, they can paradoxically enhance AP-evoked dendritic #CalciumSignaling in #cortical #pyramidal #neurons.
Mechanistically, tonic #GABA hyperpolarizes #dendrites & deinactivates low-threshold voltage-gated #calcium channels, increasing calcium influx and facilitating calcium-dependent inhibitory #SynapticPlasticity.
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🧠 New preprint by Zhong et al. proposes a #synaptic mechanism for #chunking in #WorkingMemory.
Using short-term #plasticity and synaptic augmentation, their model shows how items can be temporarily suppressed and later retrieved as chunks, increasing effective capacity w/o increasing simultaneous activity.
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An organism's internal state & behavioral outcomes are shaped by experience. This study reveals a #neuropeptide relay pathway, neuronal & non-neuronal, which orchestrates #SynapticPlasticity & context-dependent shifts in #mating duration in male #Drosophila @PLOSBiology https://plos.io/4n8aUSV
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🌀 Could a protein that twists into filaments reveal how cells keep themselves in balance?
🔗 Cryo-EM structure of AAA + ATPase thorase reveals novel helical filament formation. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2025.05.018
📚 CSBJ: https://www.csbj.org/
#StructuralBiology #CryoEM #Thorase #MolecularBiology #mTORC1 #ProteinStructure #Biophysics #AAAplusATPase #SynapticPlasticity #Mitochondria
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The Brain’s Rewiring Power: Understanding Activity-Dependent Synaptic Changes
#BrainScience #Neuroplasticity #MemoryAndLearning #Neuroscience #BrainHealth #SynapticPlasticity #MindAndBrain #NeuralNetworks #CognitiveScience #BrainRecovery
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From Neurotransmitters to Kinases: The Chemistry Powerhouse of Your Brain
#BrainChemistry #Neuroscience #Neurobiology #BrainFacts #SynapticPlasticity #Neurotransmitters #ProteinKinaseC #MemoryAndLearning #BrainHealth #ScienceExplained
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How Your Brain Forms Memories: The Science of Synaptic Plasticity
#BrainScience #Neuroscience #Memory #Learning #SynapticPlasticity #Neurons #BrainHealth #LTP #Neurobiology #MindAndBrain
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📖 Vaidya et al. investigate how #hippocampal #CA1 #PlaceCells form expanding #memory representations over days. Using longitudinal in vivo recordings, they show that stable #PlaceFields progressively emerge as active cells increase their likelihood of remaining active across sessions. This gradual stabilization hinges on #behavioral‑timescale #SynapticPlasticity, offering a new model of how CA1 memories solidify w/o #CatastrophicOverwriting.
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"A unifying mechanism for presynaptic homeostatic plasticity at mammalian peripheral and central synapses", Chipman et al. 2025 (Graeme Davis lab).
https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(25)00430-1. (Open access)"Sema3a-PHP redistributes vesicles from a non-releasing to the release-ready pool"
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Recently, we discussed this insightful paper by Squadrani et al (2024) in our #JournalClub. It explores how #astrocytes enhance #SynapticPlasticity during #ReversalLearning by modulating D-serine levels, providing a #biophysical basis for dynamic #LTP thresholds. The findings suggest astrocytic signaling is crucial for #AdaptiveLearning, linking #glial activity to #behavioral flexibility. Here’s a summary from our JC:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/blog/2025-06-29-astrocyte_enhance_plasticity/
📝 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06540-8 -
From Stress to Mood: The Neuroendocrine and Immune Interplay in Your Brain
#BrainScience #Neuroscience #SynapticPlasticity #Neurons #BrainChemistry #Optogenetics #Neurotransmitters #BrainHealth #MentalHealth #NeuralNetworks #BrainMetabolism #Neuroimmune #BrainResearch #MindAndBody #BrainInnovation
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Signal Transduction and Synaptic Plasticity: Keys to Learning and Mood
#Neuroscience #BrainScience #HumanBody #Neurobiology #SynapticPlasticity #Hormones #NervousSystem #CellBiology #MindAndBody #ScienceExploration #MedicalScience #Neurons #BrainHealth #Physiology #ScientificDiscovery
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How Neurons, Hormones, and Systems Collaborate to Power Your Feelings and Movements
#Neuroscience #BrainAndBody #ScienceExploration #Neurons #SynapticPlasticity #Hormones # NervousSystem #CellBiology #BrainFunctions #MindAndBody #MedicalScience #LearningAndMemory #Neurotransmitters #BrainHealth #ScienceEducation
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Dendritic arbors structure memories: Synapses on different dendritic domains store distinct types of information
#Neuroscience #SynapticPlasticity #Learning #AcademicChatter
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The Dance of Relationships: Navigating Mental Health and Connection
#Relationships #MentalHealth #DyadicCoping #EmotionalSupport #Connection #Anxiety #SynapticPlasticity #LoveAndFriendship #TugOfWar #Harmony #Compassion #InterpersonalDynamics #MentalWellness #SupportSystem #DanceOfLife
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today I watched:
Conducting the Neuro-Symphony in the Brain — Space, Time, and Calcium | Michael Friedlander, Ph.D.
https://www.youtube.com/live/Dcn2S5tlF3U?si=8p8mUjrJRI_Ob0Qp
#neuroscience #SynapticPlasticity #CalciumSignalling #DeepBrainStimulation #LongTermPotentiation
#LongTermDepression
#Icefish -
The #BienenstockCooperMunro (#BCM) rule provides a comprehensive framework for understanding #SynapticPlasticity. Since its introduction in 1982, the #BCMrule has provided critical insights into the mechanisms of #learning and #memory formation. Here is a brief introduction to this rule along with a short #PythonTutorial:
🌍 https://www.fabriziomusacchio.com/blog/2024-09-08-bcm_rule/
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-024-01895-2?fromPaywallRec=false Ketamine induced synaptic plasticity operates independently of long-term potentiation (Piazza, et al, 2024) #ketamine #psychedelic #psychedelics #brains #synapticPlasticity #antidepressant
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-024-01895-2 Ketamine induced synaptic plasticity operates independently of long-term potentiation (Piazza, et al, 2024) #ketamine #psychedelic #psychedelic #fda #antidepressant #ketaminetherapy #ketamineassistedpsychotherapy #psychedelicresearch #psychedelictherapy #brains #synapticPlasticity #neuroscience #psychedelicassistedpsychotherapy
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🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨 Our latest study is out: "The caloric value of food intake structurally adjusts a neuronal mushroom body circuit mediating olfactory learning in Drosophila." 🧠🍎
We discovered that low-caloric intake restructures neuronal circuits in flies, affecting their ability to learn from negative experiences while leaving reward-based learning intact.🍽️🔬
Read more in: https://learnmem.cshlp.org/content/31/5/a053997.full.pdf+html
#Research #Neuroscience #Drosophila #OlfactoryLearning #SynapticPlasticity #Nutrition
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Very interesting work by Confavreux and colleagues on #MetaLearning families of #plasticity rules in #RecurrentSpikingNetworks using simulation-based inference 👌
🌍 https://openreview.net/forum?id=FLFasCFJNo
#RSN #CompNeuro #Neuroscience #NeurIPS2023 #SynapticPlasticity #SpikingNeuronalNetwork #SNN
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#DendriticSpines contain a specialized ER, required for Ca2+ signaling, spine enlargement & #SynapticPlasticity. @yipinghsueh &co show that KLHL17 & SYNPO control the synaptic distribution of the ER, and so regulate synaptic plasticity #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/45PMrbR
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@achterbrain @neuroscience @CogCompNeuro
Thanks for posting this! We are excited about this work, and believe that the field is ready to start thinking more deeply about what "synaptic weight space" really looks like in the brain.
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Talk by Wulfram Gerstner on Three-factor rules of #synapticplasticity: from reward to surprise.
⏰ June 22, 2023, 4.15 pm CST
📍 Uniklinikum Tübingen (@uktuebingen) & Zoom
🌎 https://t.co/tlk4CorzwE -
Open for manuscript submissions on Theory and Models of #SynapticPlasticity, from Frontiers in Network Physiology:
🌎 https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/36527/theory-and-models-of-synaptic-plasticity
⏰ Submission deadline: September 30, 2023 -
A novel mechanism induced during attenuation of #ContextualFearMemory, involving Ser73 phosphorylation of #PSD95 in dCA1, suggests that PSD95-dependent #SynapticPlasticity in dCA1 is required for updating of such memories #PLOSBiology #neuroscience https://plos.io/3B4KScC