The paper provides an overview of a research article detailing the creation of a whole-brain, single-cell atlas of circadian neural activity in mice. Researchers used tissue clearing and c-Fos immunostaining over a two-day time series to map the temporal dynamics of spontaneous neural activity across 642 anatomically defined brain regions. The study found that 79% of these regions exhibit significant circadian rhythmicity, with different brain areas, especially those related to sleep-wake cycles, reward, and sensory functions, peaking in activity at diverse circadian times. This comprehensive atlas, made available as an open-access database, allows for predicting the brain's internal circadian time from global activity patterns and provides a vital resource for integrating time-of-day information into neuroscience and pharmacological research.

References:

• Yamashita K, Kinoshita F L, Yoshida S Y, et al. A whole-brain single-cell atlas of circadian neural activity in mice[J]. Science, 2025: eaea3381.