Nicola Sambuco
@nicolasambuco.bsky.social
Assistant Professor (fixed term- RTDA), University of Bari. Former CSEA trainee at UF
Curating reward processing research → RewardSignals feed (#RewardSignals).
Curating reward processing research → RewardSignals feed (#RewardSignals).
Pinned
🧠💸 Launching the RewardSignals feed
RewardSignals is a custom feed collecting posts about reward processing and decision making.
To appear in the feed, tag your post with #RewardSignals.
You can find and pin the feed from the Feeds tab as “RewardSignals”.
#RewardSignals
RewardSignals is a custom feed collecting posts about reward processing and decision making.
To appear in the feed, tag your post with #RewardSignals.
You can find and pin the feed from the Feeds tab as “RewardSignals”.
#RewardSignals
1/2 S1 mice display impaired extinction and abnormally sustained VTA-DA activity during US omission. Surprisingly, optogenetic excitation of VTA or IL-terminals failed to rescue the deficit. www.eneuro.org/content/12/1... #RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Altered Dopamine Signaling in Extinction-Deficient Mice
A central mechanism of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and trauma-related disorders is fear extinction. However, the mechanisms underlying fear extinction are deficient in some...
www.eneuro.org
December 3, 2025 at 8:37 PM
1/2 S1 mice display impaired extinction and abnormally sustained VTA-DA activity during US omission. Surprisingly, optogenetic excitation of VTA or IL-terminals failed to rescue the deficit. www.eneuro.org/content/12/1... #RewardSignals #neuroskyence
1/3 SciAdv paper shows that dopamine in ant-lat motor cortex isn't just modulatory, but it drives contralateral movement plan. DA signals and D1R+ neuron activity ramp up earlier and stronger when mice plan licks toward the opposite side. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Cortical dopaminergic signaling mediates planning of directional movements
Planning of directional movements involves lateralization of cortical dopamine signaling and engagement of D1R-related circuits.
www.science.org
December 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
1/3 SciAdv paper shows that dopamine in ant-lat motor cortex isn't just modulatory, but it drives contralateral movement plan. DA signals and D1R+ neuron activity ramp up earlier and stronger when mice plan licks toward the opposite side. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Nicola Sambuco
I only skimmed the introduction and results, and it goes among the top items on my reading list.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Out now in Translational Psychiatry! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 1, 2025 at 10:16 PM
I only skimmed the introduction and results, and it goes among the top items on my reading list.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
1/3 New eNeuro paper maps how medial prefrontal and subcortical circuits respond when mice earn rewards alone, with a partner, or in direct competition, showing that social context and hierarchy reshape network-wide reward responses. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.eneuro.org/content/12/1...
Prefrontal and Subcortical c-Fos Mapping of Reward Responses across Competitive and Social Contexts
Social animals compete for rewards to survive, yet the neural circuits underlying reward-based social competition remain unclear. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in reward process...
www.eneuro.org
December 1, 2025 at 6:32 PM
1/3 New eNeuro paper maps how medial prefrontal and subcortical circuits respond when mice earn rewards alone, with a partner, or in direct competition, showing that social context and hierarchy reshape network-wide reward responses. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.eneuro.org/content/12/1...
I like this platform, but it still feels like the best way to get the newest paper is.. X.
Am I the only one having this impression? I’d like to close my profile there but I still feel like there is value there to stay on top of the literature. Thoughts?
#neuroskyence
Am I the only one having this impression? I’d like to close my profile there but I still feel like there is value there to stay on top of the literature. Thoughts?
#neuroskyence
December 1, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I like this platform, but it still feels like the best way to get the newest paper is.. X.
Am I the only one having this impression? I’d like to close my profile there but I still feel like there is value there to stay on top of the literature. Thoughts?
#neuroskyence
Am I the only one having this impression? I’d like to close my profile there but I still feel like there is value there to stay on top of the literature. Thoughts?
#neuroskyence
Most basic neuroscience research in the U.S. is funded by the federal government, but there is an entire funding landscape that lies beyond those federal agencies. To bring those sources together, @thetransmitter.bsky.social presents a funding source directory: bit.ly/4pBBF2B
#StateOfNeuroscience
#StateOfNeuroscience
Neuroscience funding: A source directory
Our list features expected and lesser-known governmental and nongovernmental sources of funding for basic neuroscience research.
bit.ly
December 1, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Reposted by Nicola Sambuco
Reposted by Nicola Sambuco
Glad to see the knowledge gained through lesion studies in nonhuman primates being utilized as a foundation for this work www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Non-invasive ultrasonic neuromodulation of the human nucleus accumbens impacts reward sensitivity - Nature Communications
This study shows that non-invasive ultrasound to the human nucleus accumbens can modulate deep brain activity and enhance reward-guided learning, offering a potential alternative to invasive neuromodu...
www.nature.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Glad to see the knowledge gained through lesion studies in nonhuman primates being utilized as a foundation for this work www.nature.com/articles/s41...
1/3 How reward prediction errors shape memory: when people gamble and cues signal unexpectedly high reward probability, those incidental images are remembered better than ones on safe trials, linking RL computations to episodic encoding. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Positive reward prediction errors during decision-making strengthen memory encoding - Nature Human Behaviour
Jang and colleagues show that positive reward prediction errors elicited during incidental encoding enhance the formation of episodic memories.
www.nature.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:12 AM
1/3 How reward prediction errors shape memory: when people gamble and cues signal unexpectedly high reward probability, those incidental images are remembered better than ones on safe trials, linking RL computations to episodic encoding. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nicola Sambuco
And if you want the full backstory, big thanks to Keith Murphy and Charles Caskey for having me on the FUS Forward podcast to share the journey and pineapple juice addiction :): open.spotify.com/episode/0y2W...
Ep. 3 Elsa Fouragnan precision hacking of brain reward systems
Spotify video
open.spotify.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:28 PM
And if you want the full backstory, big thanks to Keith Murphy and Charles Caskey for having me on the FUS Forward podcast to share the journey and pineapple juice addiction :): open.spotify.com/episode/0y2W...
New study out today in Nature Comms: www.nature.com/articles/s41..., in which we set out to test whether ultrasound could influence the reward-related learning computations of the nucleus accumbens, building on decades of work on dopaminergic prediction error and reinforcement learning. And it did.
Non-invasive ultrasonic neuromodulation of the human nucleus accumbens impacts reward sensitivity - Nature Communications
This study shows that non-invasive ultrasound to the human nucleus accumbens can modulate deep brain activity and enhance reward-guided learning, offering a potential alternative to invasive neuromodu...
www.nature.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Nicola Sambuco
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀?
Do they even exist...?
Join @lucinauddin.bsky.social who will present, followed by discussion in the Neuroscience & Philosophy Salon.
Open to all.
Date: Dec 9, 12pm EST-US
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi... (you need a zoom account which is free)
#neuroskyence
Do they even exist...?
Join @lucinauddin.bsky.social who will present, followed by discussion in the Neuroscience & Philosophy Salon.
Open to all.
Date: Dec 9, 12pm EST-US
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi... (you need a zoom account which is free)
#neuroskyence
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: NeuroPhilo Salon. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: NeuroPhilo Salon. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
umd.zoom.us
November 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀?
Do they even exist...?
Join @lucinauddin.bsky.social who will present, followed by discussion in the Neuroscience & Philosophy Salon.
Open to all.
Date: Dec 9, 12pm EST-US
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi... (you need a zoom account which is free)
#neuroskyence
Do they even exist...?
Join @lucinauddin.bsky.social who will present, followed by discussion in the Neuroscience & Philosophy Salon.
Open to all.
Date: Dec 9, 12pm EST-US
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi... (you need a zoom account which is free)
#neuroskyence
November 29, 2025 at 11:08 AM
1/ DeepTaskGen learns a mapping from resting-state connectomes to whole-brain task fMRI, generating synthetic contrast maps in >20k UKB sbj that often match or outperform real data for predicting age, sex, cognition, and clinical measures. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Generating synthetic task-based brain fingerprints for population neuroscience using deep learning - Communications Biology
DeepTaskGen uses deep learning to generate synthetic task-based fMRI maps from resting state data, enabling scalable neuroimaging studies. It preserves individual variation and outperforms benchmarks ...
www.nature.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
1/ DeepTaskGen learns a mapping from resting-state connectomes to whole-brain task fMRI, generating synthetic contrast maps in >20k UKB sbj that often match or outperform real data for predicting age, sex, cognition, and clinical measures. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.nature.com/articles/s42...
New Sci Adv paper shows that dopamine in SNr does not directly act via D1/D2 receptors but gates striatonigral output indirectly, by boosting serotonin that activates presynaptic 5-HT1BRs to suppress low-frequency D1-MSN GABA release. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41191762/
Dopamine and serotonin cotransmission filters striatonigral synaptic activity via 5-HT1B receptor activation - PubMed
The substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), a key basal ganglia output nucleus, is modulated by dopamine (DA) believed to be released locally from midbrain DA neurons. Although DA has been proposed to regulate γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release from medium spiny neuron (MSN) terminals via presynapti …
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 27, 2025 at 11:53 AM
New Sci Adv paper shows that dopamine in SNr does not directly act via D1/D2 receptors but gates striatonigral output indirectly, by boosting serotonin that activates presynaptic 5-HT1BRs to suppress low-frequency D1-MSN GABA release. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41191762/
When people choose to give rather than keep, both altruistic and strategic generosity show robust vmPFC and ventral striatum engagement vs selfish choices. Cool that ‘warm glow’ and payoff both light up classic reward hubs. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30195947/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30195947/
November 26, 2025 at 7:32 PM
When people choose to give rather than keep, both altruistic and strategic generosity show robust vmPFC and ventral striatum engagement vs selfish choices. Cool that ‘warm glow’ and payoff both light up classic reward hubs. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30195947/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30195947/
1/New preprint maps the “brain architecture of punishment learning”: whole‑brain Fos, chemogenetics, spatial transcriptomics, and BLA Ca²⁺ imaging show how actions linked to harm are selectively suppressed while reward seeking is preserved #RewardSignals #neuroskyence
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The brain architecture of punishment learning
Learning which actions cause harm is essential for survival, yet how the brain transforms this knowledge into adaptive control of behavior remains unclear. We combined whole-brain analysis, multisite ...
www.biorxiv.org
November 26, 2025 at 6:59 PM
1/New preprint maps the “brain architecture of punishment learning”: whole‑brain Fos, chemogenetics, spatial transcriptomics, and BLA Ca²⁺ imaging show how actions linked to harm are selectively suppressed while reward seeking is preserved #RewardSignals #neuroskyence
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Nicola Sambuco
Our new paper is out! It offers a tool to assess collinearity impact on contrast estimates
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Unintended bias in the pursuit of collinearity solutions in fMRI analysis
Abstract. In task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), collinearity between task regressors in time series models may impact power. When collinearity is identified after data collection, rese...
direct.mit.edu
October 29, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Our new paper is out! It offers a tool to assess collinearity impact on contrast estimates
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Great study!
Our paper showing the first ever recordings of spiking activity from neurons in the human lateral geniculate nucleus has just been published in Nature Communications! Congrats to the whole team. #neuroskyence @nin-knaw.bsky.social @uofgpsychneuro.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Effects of eye closure on the spiking activity of human lateral geniculate neurons - Nature Communications
The LGN is a critical stage between the retina and visual cortex, but the properties of human LGN neurons are not fully understood. Here the authors report that they closely resemble those in monkeys ...
www.nature.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Great study!
Reposted by Nicola Sambuco
If your ultimate inference target is the group level, then what matters is the joint contribution of trial number per condition and participant sample size, not either one in isolation. We explored this point in detail here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Hyperbolic trade-off: The importance of balancing trial and subject sample sizes in neuroimaging
Here we investigate the crucial role of trials in task-based neuroimaging from the perspectives of statistical efficiency and condition-level generali…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:37 AM
If your ultimate inference target is the group level, then what matters is the joint contribution of trial number per condition and participant sample size, not either one in isolation. We explored this point in detail here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
yep, and in fact..
there is a secret administrative definition of DEI: Distracting Experts Indefinitely
there is a secret administrative definition of DEI: Distracting Experts Indefinitely
New conspiracy theory just dropped:
What if peer review, committee meetings, strategic plans, promotion & tenure processes, and letter-writing requests are all part of a secret plot to keep smart, creative, active minds from thinking and writing the big ideas that would *really* change the world?
What if peer review, committee meetings, strategic plans, promotion & tenure processes, and letter-writing requests are all part of a secret plot to keep smart, creative, active minds from thinking and writing the big ideas that would *really* change the world?
November 20, 2025 at 5:22 PM
yep, and in fact..
there is a secret administrative definition of DEI: Distracting Experts Indefinitely
there is a secret administrative definition of DEI: Distracting Experts Indefinitely
@davidbaranger.bsky.social would love your take on the fMRI part of this paper: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... I’m wondering how much of the poor MID reliability is about adolescent samples + long test–retest gaps, rather than the MID itself.
#neuroskyence #neurosky #RewardSignals
#neuroskyence #neurosky #RewardSignals
www.biorxiv.org
November 20, 2025 at 2:33 PM
@davidbaranger.bsky.social would love your take on the fMRI part of this paper: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... I’m wondering how much of the poor MID reliability is about adolescent samples + long test–retest gaps, rather than the MID itself.
#neuroskyence #neurosky #RewardSignals
#neuroskyence #neurosky #RewardSignals
Reviewer: “lack of details about the software used for connectivity.”
Also me: mentioned AFNI several times, with commands.
Folks, believe me, there is life beyond CONN, and diversity ≠ opacity. If something is unclear, ask.
#neurosky #neuroskyence
Also me: mentioned AFNI several times, with commands.
Folks, believe me, there is life beyond CONN, and diversity ≠ opacity. If something is unclear, ask.
#neurosky #neuroskyence
November 20, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Reviewer: “lack of details about the software used for connectivity.”
Also me: mentioned AFNI several times, with commands.
Folks, believe me, there is life beyond CONN, and diversity ≠ opacity. If something is unclear, ask.
#neurosky #neuroskyence
Also me: mentioned AFNI several times, with commands.
Folks, believe me, there is life beyond CONN, and diversity ≠ opacity. If something is unclear, ask.
#neurosky #neuroskyence
Bonus on this paper:
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
November 20, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Bonus on this paper:
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence