X-ray diffraction reveals alterations in mouse somatosensory cortex following sensory deprivation

X-ray diffraction reveals alterations in mouse somatosensory cortex following sensory deprivation

A new study reveals how nanoscale brain structures are altered when mice are deprived of sensory input. Researchers trimmed mouse whiskers—a well-established method to reduce sensory experience—and then analyzed their somatosensory cortex using X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Traditional staining confirmed that sensory deprivation reduced perineuronal nets (PNNs), but the real breakthrough came from applying machine learning to XRD data. While the diffraction patterns of control and whisker-trimmed mice looked similar at first, advanced analysis separated the two groups with perfect sensitivity and specificity.

This suggests that whisker trimming alters nanoscale brain structures in ways not visible under conventional methods. Beyond neuroscience, the study points toward XRD as a fast, label-free tool for detecting subtle structural changes in brain tissue—potentially valuable for understanding development, disease, and diagnostics.

Authors: Sasha Murokh, Ezekiel Willerson, Alexander Lazarev, Pavel Lazarev, Lev Mourokh, Joshua C. Brumberg

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110582