Neuroscience

eLife assessment

This important study introduces and evaluates the efficacy of a novel form of non-invasive brain stimulation in humans: kilohertz transcranial magnetic perturbation (kTMP). The evidence provided for the ability of kTMP to increase cortical excitability with minimal sensation is compelling, with two separate replication experiments. Although exploratory in nature, this work represents new avenues for non-invasive brain stimulation research that has potential long-term appeal for both clinical and research applications. This paper will be of significant interest to neuroscientists interested in brain stimulation.

eLife assessment

This study provides valuable insights and allows for hypothesis generation around diet-microbe-host interactions in alcohol use disorder. The strength of the evidence is convincing: the work is done in a rigorous manner in a well-described cohort of patients with AUD before and after withdrawal. There are several weaknesses, including validating the metabolites identified by metabolomics, the cross-sectional study design, the lack of a healthy control group, and the descriptive nature of such clinical cohort studies. Nevertheless, the study provides a wealth of new data that may be the basis for future studies that test causality and elucidate the role of single metabolites in the psychiatric sequela of AUD.

eLife assessment

This study presents useful findings for how sevoflurane anesthesia modulates the activity of corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and how manipulation of such PVHCRH neurons influences anesthesia and post-anesthesia responses. The technical approaches are solid and the data presented is largely clear. Whether PVHCRH neurons are critical for the mechanisms of sevoflurane anesthesia is a direction for the future.

eLife assessment

This study presents a useful finding on the interplay of CCL5 and miR-324-5p during ischemic stroke injury. Despite its importance, the evidence supporting the claims of the authors is incomplete. In particular, the lack of methodological information, inappropriate statistical testing, a flawed culture system, and the temporal mismatch in the expression of CCL5 and miR-324-5p following stroke have hindered further evaluation of the claims. The work will be of interest to neuroscientists working on brain injury such as stroke.

eLife assessment

The present study provides valuable evidence on the neurochemical mechanisms underlying working memory in obesity. The authors' approach considering specific working memory operations (maintenance, updating) and putative dopaminergic genes is solid, though the inclusion of a more direct measure of dopamine signaling would have strengthened the work.

eLife assessment

The aim of this valuable study is to identify novel genes involved in sleep regulation and memory consolidation. It combines transcriptomic approaches following memory induction with measurements of sleep and memory to discover molecular pathways underlying these interlinked behaviors. The authors explore transcriptional changes in specific mushroom body neurons and suggest roles for two genes involved in RNA processing, Polr1F and Regnase-1, in the regulation of sleep and memory. Although this work exploits convincing and validated methodology, the strength of the evidence is incomplete to support the main claim that these two genes establish a definitive link between sleep and memory consolidation.

eLife assessment

This manuscript describes valuable findings on the expression pattern of orexin receptors in the midbrain and how manipulating this system influences several behaviors, such as context-induced locomotor activity and exploration. The overall strength of evidence - which includes anatomical, viral manipulation studies, and brain imaging - is solid and broadly supports claims in the paper, however, there are several areas in which the conclusions are only partially supported by the statistical evidence. These results have implications for understanding the neural underpinnings of reward and will be of interest to neuroscientists and cognitive scientists with an interest in the neurobiology of reward.

eLife assessment

This is a useful study depicting the ultrastructural features of layer 1 of the human temporal cortex, the authors assess various synaptic parameters, astrocytic volumetric ratio, and mitochondrial morphology. The data were collected using a solid methodology, however, the analysis of the functional vesicle pools is incomplete, and reliance solely on electron microscopy limits the scope of the work to structural observation. The work will be of interest to neuroscientists and computational researchers investigating cortical and network function.

eLife assessment

This valuable work discusses the phylogenetic conservation of the hippocampal region and primary sensory cortical regions in mammalian species. The authors propose that species-specific differences in behavior and mnemonic functions may be due to differences in cortico-hippocampal connectivity patterns. However, the manuscript, in its present form, is speculative, and the strength of evidence for this proposition is incomplete.

eLife assessment

This important study reports that slow fluctuations of serotonin release during wakefulness and non-REM sleep correspond to periods of either increased arousal or enhanced offline information processing. The evidence supporting the claim is convincing, and the methodology used in the study will benefit many in the field. The work will be of interest to neuroscientists working on sleep, memory, and neuromodulation.