Lorenzo Lazzerini Ospri, Jesse J Zhan, Michael B Thomsen, Hui Wang, Ruchi Komal, Qijun Tang, Fany Messanvi, Johann du Hoffmann, Kevin Cravedi, Yogita Chudasama, Samer Hattar, Haiqing Zhao
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is a part of the limbic system engaged in the regulation of social, emotional, and cognitive states, which are characteristically impaired in disorders of the brain such as schizophrenia and depression. Here, we show that intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) modulate, through light, the integrity, activity, and function of the vmPFC. This regulatory role, which is independent of circadian and mood alterations, is mediated by an ipRGC-thalamic-corticolimbic pathway...
March 29, 2024: Science Advances