Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41702720›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience2026

Alzheimer's Pathology Enhances Excitatory Synaptic Input and Integration in VTA Dopamine Neurons.

Harris E Blankenship, Matthew H Higgs, Kylene M Harold, Kenneth M Humphries, Michael J Beckstead

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Harris E BlankenshipAging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 Mike-Beckstead@omrf.org Harris.E.Blankenship@gmail.com.
Matthew H HiggsAging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104.
Kylene M HaroldAging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104.
Kenneth M HumphriesAging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104.
Michael J BecksteadAging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 Mike-Beckstead@omrf.org Harris.E.Blankenship@gmail.com.

Funding

Viral sensor IFIH1 promotes SLE through an altered interferon programP20GM139763 · NIGMS · OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION · PI Jon Iker Etchegaray · 2021 to 2026
$20.3M
Influence of neuromelanin on single dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease.R01NS135830 · NINDS · OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION · PI Michael J Beckstead · 2025 to 2026
$1.2M
Ventral tegmental area involvement in Alzheimer's pathologyR21AG072811 · NIA · OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION · PI BECKSTEAD, MICHAEL J · 2021 to 2021
$481k
Multimodal ventral tegmental area decrements in a mouse Alzheimer's modelF31AG079620 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR · PI BLANKENSHIP, HARRIS · 2022 to 2024
$110k
Impacts of Phosphofructokinase-2 on Cardiac Electrophysiology and Function in DiabetesF31HL176095 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR · PI HAROLD, KYLENE MARIE · 2025 to 2025
$38k
BLRD VA I01 BX005396NHLBI NIH HHS F31 HL176095NIA NIH HHS F31 AG079620NIA NIH HHS R21 AG072811NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM139763NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS135830
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In Alzheimer's disease (AD) models, ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons are intrinsically hyperexcitable yet release less dopamine and exhibit dysfunctional downstream signaling. Synaptic transmission is broadly disrupted in AD, but it is not known to what extent excitatory and inhibitory inputs to the VTA are altered. Here we describe enhanced synaptic excitation in dopamine neurons from male and female 3xTg-AD mice (an amyloid + tau-driven model). AMPAR-mediated excitatory input was enhanced in a subset of connections, while GABA

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseDopaminergic NeuronsExcitatory Postsynaptic PotentialsSynapsesVentral Tegmental AreaAnimalsFemaleMaleMiceMice, TransgenicSynaptic Transmission3xTgmicemodelingmorphologypatch clampplasticity

Identifiers

PMID41702720
PMCPMC13001001

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.