Kiarash Shamardani

Jun 5, 2024 | nature.com | Belgin Yalçın |Matthew B. Pomrenze |Kiarash Shamardani |Isabelle Chau |Kathryn Taylor |Robert C. Malenka

AbstractAll drugs of abuse induce long-lasting changes in synaptic transmission and neural circuit function that underlie substance-use disorders1,2. Another recently appreciated mechanism of neural circuit plasticity is mediated through activity-regulated changes in myelin that can tune circuit function and influence cognitive behaviour3,4,5,6,7. Here we explore the role of myelin plasticity in dopaminergic circuitry and reward learning.

Jan 3, 2024 | nature.com | Ian Antón Oldenburg |William D. Hendricks |Gregory Handy |Kiarash Shamardani |Brent Doiron

AbstractRecurrent cortical activity sculpts visual perception by refining, amplifying or suppressing visual input. However, the rules that govern the influence of recurrent activity remain enigmatic. We used ensemble-specific two-photon optogenetics in the mouse visual cortex to isolate the impact of recurrent activity from external visual input.

Nov 1, 2023 | nature.com | Kathryn Taylor |Avishay Spitzer |Griffin G. Hartmann |Helena Zhang |Kiarash Shamardani |Minhui Su | +6 more

AbstractThe role of the nervous system in the regulation of cancer is increasingly appreciated. In gliomas, neuronal activity drives tumour progression through paracrine signalling factors such as neuroligin-3 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor1,2,3 (BDNF), and also through electrophysiologically functional neuron-to-glioma synapses mediated by AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptors4,5.

May 3, 2023 | nature.com | Abrar Choudhury |Alexander Aabedi |Galina Popova |Benjamin Lipkin |Annette M. Molinaro |Humsa Venkatesh | +5 more

Patients, samples, consent and ethics approvalEach participant in the study was recruited from a prospective registry of adults aged 18–85 with newly diagnosed frontal, temporal and parietal IDH-WT high-grade gliomas with detailed language assessments and baseline MEG recordings. Inclusionary criteria included the following: native English speaking, aged 18–85 years, and no previous history of psychiatric illness, neurological illness, or drug or alcohol abuse.