Nicotine is the primary addictive substance in tobacco, promoting smoking behavior by activating the brain’s dopamine reward system. Although the mechanisms of nicotine addiction have been extensively studied, the specific pathways through which it acts in the brain, particularly how it modulates reward and aversion through different neural circuit...

Academic Background Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor dysfunction, loss of dopaminergic neurons, and abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn). Although the cause of most PD cases remains unclear, approximately 5%-10% of cases are due to monogenic mutations. The SNCA gene, w...

Research Background The visual system is one of the most complex sensory systems in the mammalian brain, relying on the coordinated activity of multiple brain regions, particularly the information transfer between the thalamus and the primary visual cortex (V1). The processing of visual information involves not only the extraction of basic features...

Academic Background Hereditary deafness is one of the most common sensory disorders worldwide, affecting over 400 million people, with approximately 60% of congenital deafness linked to genetic factors. Although adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy shows great potential in treating hereditary deafness, significant concerns remain rega...

Dynorphin is an endogenous opioid peptide that primarily acts through κ-opioid receptors (KOR) and is widely involved in the regulation of various behaviors, including reward and aversive responses. However, the specific mechanisms of Dynorphin/KOR signaling in reward-seeking behaviors remain unclear. Previous research has predominantly focused on ...

In the mammalian brain, auditory perception relies on the transmission of information from the thalamus to the cortex. For a long time, the medial geniculate body (MGB) has been considered the primary hub of the auditory thalamus, responsible for transmitting sound signals to the auditory cortex (Auc). However, whether other thalamic inputs also pa...