Ara Mahar

VesSynth: Tubes Are All You Need for Robust Cross-Scale Cross-Modal 3D Vessel Segmentation

This paper introduces VesSynth, a vessel segmentation framework trained on synthetic data that achieves state-of-the-art accuracy across multiple imaging modalities and spatial resolutions.

Developmental and adult striatal patterning of nociceptin ligand marks striosomal population with direct dopamine projections

The paper identifies striosomal populations in the dorsal striatum expressing Pnoc mRNA, which are dopamine receptor D1-expressing medium spiny neurons with direct projections to midbrain dopamine neurons.

Dopamine Release Plateau and Outcome Signals in Dorsal Striatum Contrast with Classic Reinforcement Learning Formulations

This study shows that dopamine release patterns in the dorsal striatum differ between medial and lateral regions during learning, challenging classic reinforcement learning models.

Striosomes Target Nigral Dopamine-Containing Neurons via Direct-D1 and Indirect-D2 Pathways Paralleling Classic Direct-Indirect Basal Ganglia Systems

The paper identifies striosomal pathways that target substantia nigra dopamine neurons, with opposite effects on movement compared to canonical pathways.

Cannabinoid receptor 1 is required for neurodevelopment of striosome-dendron bouquets

This study shows that CB1R is essential for the postnatal development of striosome-dendron bouquets, which are critical for dopamine system connectivity, and suggests potential developmental risks from maternal use of CB1R agonists or antagonists.