The Pulvinar in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Circuits, Cognition, and Clinical Relevance

In the field of neuropsychiatric research, subcortical structures have historically attracted less attention compared to cortical regions, despite their emerging significance in cognitive and perceptual dysfunctions. Among these, the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus stands out as a critical component in sensory integration, attention, and visual processing. Recent studies have identified pulvinar dysfunction as a contributor to various neuropsychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. These dysfunctions manifest as structural and functional anomalies including decreased pulvinar volume, disrupted cortical connectivity, and atypical fMRI activation, often leading to deficits in emotion recognition, sensory gating, and cognitive control. Current research aims to shed light on the role of the pulvinar in these disorders through advanced methodologies such as functional neuroimaging, electrophysiology, postmortem histology, and computational modeling. Despite these advancements, the precise mechanisms of pulvinar dysfunction within neuropsychiatric disorders remain insufficiently understood.This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of the pulvinar nucleus’s function and its pivotal role across a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. The goal is to untangle the complex dynamics within which the pulvinar operates, particularly focusing on sensory integration, attentional regulation, and visual processing. By answering pressing questions regarding how these dysfunctions propagate within broader thalamocortical networks and relate to clinical symptoms, the objective is to uncover novel intervention targets. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that leverages recent advances in neuroimaging, electrophysiological analyses, neuromodulation tools, and computational modeling, this research hopes to piece together evidence from these diverse methods.To gather further insights on the functional and clinical roles of the pulvinar, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Altered pulvinar connectivity and its influence on cognitive and perceptual processes- Electrophysiological signatures indicative of pulvinar dysfunction- Cellular and molecular changes shown by postmortem analyses- Computational modeling of thalamocortical dynamics- The pulvinar’s involvement in visual attention, social cognition, and sensory processingWe also invite explorations into developmental or disease-stage differences, research on cross-species models, and innovative interventions targeting the pulvinar. Manuscript types including original research, reviews, methodological papers, and theoretical or computational studies with interdisciplinary and translational insights are particularly encouraged.Topic Editor Daniel C. Javitt holds shares in NRx Pharmaceuticals and Glytech Inc/LLC.All other Topic Editors report no potential competing interests. Topic editors: Antigona Martinez, Daniel C. Javitt Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/71003/the-pulvinar-in-neuropsychiatric-disorders-circuits-cognition-and-clinical-relevance