The “Behavioral Neuroscience” Section reports advances in our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying behavior. This Section publishes articles with major insights into the neural mechanisms of animal and human behavior, from early development to senescence, and welcomes articles studying the interplay between behavior and its neurobiological basis, from behavioral to neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies.

As all of the articles published in our journal are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 listed below:

1. “Quantitative Evaluation of Task-Induced Neurological Outcome after Stroke”
by Iqram Hussain and Se-Jin Park
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(7), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11070900
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/7/900

2. “Biological Functions of Rat Ultrasonic Vocalizations, Arousal Mechanisms, and Call Initiation”
by Stefan M Brudzynski
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(5), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050605
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/5/605

3. “Theoretical Models of Consciousness: A Scoping Review”
by Davide Sattin, Francesca Giulia Magnani, Laura Bartesaghi, Milena Caputo, Andrea Veronica Fittipaldo, Martina Cacciatore, Mario Picozzi and Matilde Leonardi
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(5), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050535
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/5/535

4. “The Differential Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Sleep Quality, Insomnia, Depression, Stress, and Anxiety among Late Adolescents and Elderly in Italy”
by Giulia Amicucci, Federico Salfi, Aurora D’Atri, Lorenzo Viselli and Michele Ferrara
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(10), 1336; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11101336
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/10/1336

5. “Safinamide Improves Non-Motor Symptoms Burden in Parkinson’s Disease: An Open-Label Prospective Study”
by Diego Santos García, Carmen Labandeira Guerra, Rosa Yáñez Baña, Maria Icíar Cimas Hernando, Iria Cabo López, Jose Manuel Paz Gonález, Maria Gemma Alonso Losada, María José González Palmás and Cristina Martínez Miró
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(3), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11030316
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/3/316

6. “Opposing Association of Situational and Chronic Loneliness with Interpersonal Distance”
by Nira Saporta, Dirk Scheele, Jana Lieberz, Fine Stuhr-Wulff, René Hurlemann and Simone G. Shamay-Tsoory
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(9), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11091135
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/9/1135

7. “From Affordances to Abstract Words: The Flexibility of Sensorimotor Grounding”
by Claudia Mazzuca, Chiara Fini, Arthur Henri Michalland, Ilenia Falcinelli, Federico Da Rold, Luca Tummolini and Anna M. Borghi
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(10), 1304; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11101304
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/10/1304

8. “Differential Alterations in Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated with Depressive Symptoms and Early Life Adversity”
by Eleonora Fadel, Heinz Boeker, Matti Gaertner, Andre Richter, Birgit Kleim, Erich Seifritz, Simone Grimm and Laura M. Wade-Bohleber
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(5), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050591
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/5/591

9. “Changes in Sleep Patterns and Disorders in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders during the COVID-19 Lockdown”
by Oliviero Bruni, Maria Breda, Raffaele Ferri and Maria Grazia Melegari
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(9), 1139; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11091139
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/9/1139

10. “Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cognitive Decline: A Review of Potential Vulnerability and Protective Factors”
by Julie Legault, Cynthia Thompson, Marie-Ève Martineau-Dussault, Claire André, Andrée-Ann Baril, Guillermo Martinez Villar, Julie Carrier and Nadia Gosselin
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(6), 706; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11060706
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/6/706

11. “Neurophysiological Aspects of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD): A Narrative Review”
by Michela Figorilli, Giuseppe Lanza, Patrizia Congiu, Rosamaria Lecca, Elisa Casaglia, Maria P. Mogavero, Monica Puligheddu and Raffaele Ferri
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(12), 1588; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121588
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/12/1588

12. “Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Covert Versus Overt Processing of Happy, Fearful and Sad Facial Expressions”
by Antonio Maffei, Jennifer Goertzen, Fern Jaspers-Fayer, Killian Kleffner, Paola Sessa and Mario Liotti
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(7), 942; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11070942
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/7/942

13. “Sleep in Normal Aging, Homeostatic and Circadian Regulation and Vulnerability to Sleep Deprivation”
by Jacques Taillard, Claude Gronfier, Stéphanie Bioulac, Pierre Philip and Patricia Sagaspe
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(8), 1003; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11081003
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/8/1003

14. “Biological and Acoustic Sex Differences in Rat Ultrasonic Vocalization”
by Charles Lenell, Courtney K. Broadfoot, Nicole E. Schaen-Heacock and Michelle R. Ciucci
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(4), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11040459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/4/459

15. “Effects of a Cognitive-Motor Training on Anticipatory Brain Functions and Sport Performance in Semi-Elite Basketball Players”
by Stefania Lucia, Valentina Bianco, Luca Boccacci and Francesco Di Russo
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12010068
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/1/68

16. “Adjunctive Approaches to Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Review on Efficacy and Safety”
by Chiara Picano, Agnese Quadrini, Francesca Pisano and Paola Marangolo
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11010041
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/1/41

17. “Persistence of the Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Sleep: A Longitudinal Study”
by Maurizio Gorgoni, Serena Scarpelli, Anastasia Mangiaruga, Valentina Alfonsi, Maria R. Bonsignore, Francesco Fanfulla, Luigi Ferini-Strambi, Lino Nobili, Giuseppe Plazzi, Luigi De Gennaro et al.
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(11), 1520; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11111520
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/11/1520

18. “Creating a Theoretical Framework to Underpin Discourse Assessment and Intervention in Aphasia”
by Lucy Dipper, Jane Marshall, Mary Boyle, Deborah Hersh, Nicola Botting and Madeline Cruice
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11020183
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/2/183

19. “Phytochemical Analysis, In Vitro Anticholinesterase, Antioxidant Activity and In Vivo Nootropic Effect of Ferula ammoniacum (Dorema ammoniacum) D. Don. in Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice”
by Nausheen Nazir, Mohammad Nisar, Muhammad Zahoor, Faheem Uddin, Saeed Ullah, Riaz Ullah, Siddique Akber Ansari, Hafiz Majid Mahmood, Ahmed Bari and Abdulrehman Alobaid
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(2), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11020259
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/2/259

20. “The Effect of Maternal Immune Activation on Social Play-Induced Ultrasonic Vocalization in Rats”
by Kinga Gzielo, Agnieszka Potasiewicz, Ewa Litwa, Diana Piotrowska, Piotr Popik and Agnieszka Nikiforuk
Brain Sci. 2021, 11(3), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11030344
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/3/344