Role of habenula in obesity associated aversive learning impairment

Obesity is a major public health issue globally that is often complicated by cognitive impairment, including fear learning. This study focused on a brain structure called the habenula in the context of high fat diet induced obesity, which is the fear learning center in zebrafish and human alike. This study aimed to address the molecular mechanism of the change of fear learning in using zebrafish model. Our main finding is that gpr151 that was primarily expressed in zebrafish dorsal habenula was downregulated and our in vivo imaging indicated a change in neural firing pattern in the diminished expression of gpr151.