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A historical perspective on the insect central complex: Anatomy, development, and function

Gillet, Valentin LU orcid ; Kluge, Janka LU orcid and Patel, Rickesh LU orcid (2024) In Molecular Psychology 2(19).
Abstract
The central complex (CX), a remarkable brain region at the core of insect behaviors, has been the subject of extensive research for decades. In this review, we offer a comprehensive historical perspective on the anatomy, development, and function of the CX. The CX consists of discrete and highly structured neuropils found at the center of the brain, which are conserved across insects and arthropods. The developmental processes that shape the CX are themselves conserved across insects. In early research, the CX had been shown to receive visual information and control motor function. Using increasingly advanced methods throughout the years, it has become clear that the CX is involved in high-level behavioral control, such as in vector... (More)
The central complex (CX), a remarkable brain region at the core of insect behaviors, has been the subject of extensive research for decades. In this review, we offer a comprehensive historical perspective on the anatomy, development, and function of the CX. The CX consists of discrete and highly structured neuropils found at the center of the brain, which are conserved across insects and arthropods. The developmental processes that shape the CX are themselves conserved across insects. In early research, the CX had been shown to receive visual information and control motor function. Using increasingly advanced methods throughout the years, it has become clear that the CX is involved in high-level behavioral control, such as in vector navigation and goal directed orientation.

Its numerical simplicity presents a rare opportunity to study structure-function relationships in small brains, gain insights into evolutionary neurobiology, and develop novel neuromorphic technologies inspired by insect brains. Since the CX is a highly conserved brain region involved in the control of spatial tasks, it is uniquely suited to gain a detailed understanding of the computations required for these processes at the level of neural circuits. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Molecular Psychology
volume
2
issue
19
ISSN
2752-8286
DOI
10.12688/molpsychol.17564.2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d6e8ad7c-7652-473e-b35c-76bcad0431cb
date added to LUP
2024-12-02 14:14:08
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:24:31
@article{d6e8ad7c-7652-473e-b35c-76bcad0431cb,
  abstract     = {{The central complex (CX), a remarkable brain region at the core of insect behaviors, has been the subject of extensive research for decades. In this review, we offer a comprehensive historical perspective on the anatomy, development, and function of the CX. The CX consists of discrete and highly structured neuropils found at the center of the brain, which are conserved across insects and arthropods. The developmental processes that shape the CX are themselves conserved across insects. In early research, the CX had been shown to receive visual information and control motor function. Using increasingly advanced methods throughout the years, it has become clear that the CX is involved in high-level behavioral control, such as in vector navigation and goal directed orientation.<br/><br/>Its numerical simplicity presents a rare opportunity to study structure-function relationships in small brains, gain insights into evolutionary neurobiology, and develop novel neuromorphic technologies inspired by insect brains. Since the CX is a highly conserved brain region involved in the control of spatial tasks, it is uniquely suited to gain a detailed understanding of the computations required for these processes at the level of neural circuits.}},
  author       = {{Gillet, Valentin and Kluge, Janka and Patel, Rickesh}},
  issn         = {{2752-8286}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{19}},
  series       = {{Molecular Psychology}},
  title        = {{A historical perspective on the insect central complex: Anatomy, development, and function}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/molpsychol.17564.2}},
  doi          = {{10.12688/molpsychol.17564.2}},
  volume       = {{2}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}