The human brain is extremely complex. Performing even simple actions requires a large amount of brain power. One of the most informative ways for us to understand how the brain functions and subsequent dysfunction, is by using animal models. Rodents and monkeys help us to investigate how interactions occur between brain areas during spatial navigation, decision-making, and learning and memory. These findings can help to inform therapies for patients with damage to these areas.
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Recent primary research in rats
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Lomi, E., Jeffery, K.J., Mitchell, A.S., Convergence of location, direction, and theta in the rat anteroventral thalamic nucleus, ISCIENCE (2023), https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.isci.2023.106993.

Ouhaz Z, Perry BAL, Nakamura K, Mitchell AS. 2022. Mediodorsal thalamus is critical for updating during extra-dimensional shifts but not reversals in the attentional set-shifting task. eNeuro, 9:ENEURO.0162-21.2022; doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0162-21.2022
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Recent primary research in monkeys
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Chakraborty S, Ouhaz Z, Mason S, Mitchell AS. 2019. Macaque parvocellular mediodorsal thalamus: dissociable contributions to learning and adaptive decision-making. Eur J Neurosci doi: 10.1111/ejn.14078.


Chakraborty S, Kolling N, Walton ME, Mitchell AS. 2016. Critical role for the mediodorsal thalamus in permitting rapid reward-guided updating in stochastic reward environment. eLife, 5:e13588. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13588

Mitchell AS, Gaffan D. 2008. The primate magnocellular mediodorsal thalamus is necessary for memory acquisition, not for retrieval. J Neurosci, 28: 258-263. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4922-07.2008.

Mitchell AS, Browning PG, Wilson CR, Baxter MG, Gaffan D. Dissociable roles for cortical and subcortical structures in memory retrieval and acquisition. J Neurosci. 2008 Aug 20;28(34):8387-96. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1924-08.2008.

Mitchell AS, Baxter MG, Gaffan D. 2007. Dissociable performance on scene memory learning and strategy implementation after lesions to magnocellular mediodorsal thalamic nucleus. J. Neurosci, 27: 11888-11895. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1835-07.2007.

Mitchell AS, Browning PGF, Baxter MG. 2007. Neurotoxic lesions of the medial mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus disrupt reinforcer devaluation effects in rhesus monkeys. J. Neurosci, 27: 11289-95. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1914-07.2007.
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Recent review papers
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Janssen P, Isa, T, Lanciego J, Leech K, Logothetis N, Poo M, Mitchell AS. 2023. Visualizing advances in the future of primate neuroscience research. Curr Res Neurobio. 4: 100064, doi: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100064

Perry BAL, Mendez JC, Mitchell AS. 2022. Cortico-thalamocortical interactions for learning, memory, and decision-making. J Physiol. doi: 10.1113/JP282626.

Mendez JC, Perry BAL, Heppenstall RJ, Mason S, Mitchell AS. 2022. Openness about animal research increases public support. Nat Neurosci, 25: 401-403. doi: 10.1038/s41593-022-01039-z

Pergola G, Danet L, Pitel AL, Carlesimo GA, Segobin S, Pariente J, Suchan B, Mitchell AS, Barbeau EJ. 2018. The human mediodorsal thalamus: a regulator of prefrontal activity patterns and cognition. Trends Cogn Sci. pii: S1364-6613(18)30205-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.08.006.
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