Mediodorsal thalamic nucleus mediates resistance to ethanol through Cav3.1 T-type Ca2+ regulation of neural activity.
eLife July 18, 2025 Charles-Francois V Latchoumane, Joon-Hyuk Lee, Seong-Wook Kim et al.
Maintaining thalamic neural firing at wakeful levels can resist ethanol-induced unconsciousness. In a study with knockout (KO) and knockdown (KD) mice, KO mice displayed sustained neuronal activity during sleep and were 40% more resistant to ethanol than wild-type (WT) mice. While WT neurons showed reduced firing during ethanol exposure, KO neurons maintained firing levels akin to wakefulness. Additionally, stimulating medial thalamus neurons at 20 Hz replicated this resistance. These findings could inform new treatments for consciousness disorders through targeted thalamic stimulation.