| Title |
Profound seasonal changes in brain size and architecture in the common shrew
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Brain Structure and Function, April 2018
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00429-018-1666-5 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Javier Lázaro, Moritz Hertel, Chet C. Sherwood, Marion Muturi, Dina K. N. Dechmann |
| Abstract |
The seasonal changes in brain size of some shrews represent the most drastic reversible transformation in the mammalian central nervous system known to date. Brain mass decreases 10-26% from summer to winter and regrows 9-16% in spring, but the underlying structural changes at the cellular level are not yet understood. Here, we describe the volumetric differences in brain structures between seasons and sexes of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) in detail, confirming that changes in different brain regions vary in the magnitude of change. Notably, shrews show a decrease in hypothalamus, thalamus, and hippocampal volume and later regrowth in spring, whereas neocortex and striatum volumes decrease in winter and do not recover in size. For some regions, males and females showed different patterns of seasonal change from each other. We also analyzed the underlying changes in neuron morphology. We observed a general decrease in soma size and total dendrite volume in the caudoputamen and anterior cingulate cortex. This neuronal retraction may partially explain the overall tissue shrinkage in winter. While not sufficient to explain the entire seasonal process, it represents a first step toward understanding the mechanisms beneath this remarkable phenomenon. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 21 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 | 24% |
| United Kingdom | 4 | 19% |
| Germany | 1 | 5% |
| Ireland | 1 | 5% |
| Spain | 1 | 5% |
| Australia | 1 | 5% |
| Unknown | 8 | 38% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 14 | 67% |
| Scientists | 5 | 24% |
| Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 10% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 61 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 61 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 12 | 20% |
| Student > Bachelor | 11 | 18% |
| Researcher | 10 | 16% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 5 | 8% |
| Student > Master | 4 | 7% |
| Other | 5 | 8% |
| Unknown | 14 | 23% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 17 | 28% |
| Neuroscience | 13 | 21% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 7 | 11% |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 5% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2 | 3% |
| Other | 5 | 8% |
| Unknown | 14 | 23% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 70. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 14 July 2023.
All research outputs
#592,779
of 24,914,266 outputs
Outputs from Brain Structure and Function
#28
of 1,743 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#12,626
of 302,158 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Brain Structure and Function
#5
of 37 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 24,914,266 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 97th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,743 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.1. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 37 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 89% of its contemporaries.