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Professor John Reynolds

Contact Details

Phone
64 3 479 5781
Email
john.reynolds@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor
Department
Department of Anatomy
Qualifications
MB ChB PhD(Otago)
Research summary
Learning and memory mechanisms, Parkinson's disease, stroke
Teaching
Medicine III - Nervous System Anatomy
Memberships
  • Directorate of Brain Research NZ Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE)
  • Ageing Well National Science Challenge
Clinical
<ul> <li>Parkinson's disease</li> <li>Neuromodulation as used for tinnitus, stroke recovery, and impulse disorders</li> </ul>

Research

John Reynolds’ research focuses on understanding the effect of natural patterns of brain cell activity on the normal and disordered brain. His training in medicine and interest in rehabilitation from brain disorders has led to curiosity-driven research investigating the changes that occur in normal brain circuitry after Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Towards a better treatment for these disorders, a recent focus for his research group has been on how patterns of neural activity can best be applied to restore normal learning and movement functions of the brain. He is also a passionate teacher, having gained national recognition in both teaching and research, including an Ako Aotearoa tertiary teaching award and an inaugural Rutherford Discovery Fellowship for his research programme.

Publications

Vautrelle, N., Coizet, V., Leriche, M., Dahan, L., Schulz, J. M., Zhang, Y.-F., … Reynolds, J. N. J. (2023). Sensory reinforced corticostriatal plasticity. Current Neuropharmacology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.2174/1570159X21666230801110359

Reynolds, J. N. J., Avvisati, R., Dodson, P. D., Fisher, S. D., Oswald, M. J., Wickens, J. R., & Zhang, Y.-F. (2022). Coincidence of cholinergic pauses, dopaminergic activation and depolarisation of spiny projection neurons drives synaptic plasticity in the striatum. Nature Communications, 13, 1296. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28950-0

Zhang, Y.-F., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Cragg, S. J. (2018). Pauses in cholinergic interneuron activity are driven by excitatory input and delayed rectification, with dopamine modulation. Neuron, 98(5), 918-925. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.04.027

Fisher, S. D., Robertson, P. B., Black, M. J., Redgrave, P., Sagar, M. A., Abraham, W. C., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2017). Reinforcement determines the timing dependence of corticostriatal synaptic plasticity in vivo. Nature Communications, 8, 334. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00394-x

Reynolds, J. N. J., Hyland, B. I., & Wickens, J. (2001). A cellular mechanism of reward-related learning. Nature, 413, 67-70.

Vautrelle, N., Coizet, V., Leriche, M., Dahan, L., Schulz, J. M., Zhang, Y.-F., … Reynolds, J. N. J. (2023). Sensory reinforced corticostriatal plasticity. Current Neuropharmacology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.2174/1570159X21666230801110359

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, J. N. J., Avvisati, R., Dodson, P. D., Fisher, S. D., Oswald, M. J., Wickens, J. R., & Zhang, Y.-F. (2022). Coincidence of cholinergic pauses, dopaminergic activation and depolarisation of spiny projection neurons drives synaptic plasticity in the striatum. Nature Communications, 13, 1296. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28950-0

Journal - Research Article

Zhang, Y.-F., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Cragg, S. J. (2018). Pauses in cholinergic interneuron activity are driven by excitatory input and delayed rectification, with dopamine modulation. Neuron, 98(5), 918-925. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.04.027

Journal - Research Article

Fisher, S. D., Robertson, P. B., Black, M. J., Redgrave, P., Sagar, M. A., Abraham, W. C., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2017). Reinforcement determines the timing dependence of corticostriatal synaptic plasticity in vivo. Nature Communications, 8, 334. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00394-x

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, J. N. J., Hyland, B. I., & Wickens, J. (2001). A cellular mechanism of reward-related learning. Nature, 413, 67-70.

Journal - Research Article

Adhia, D. B., Mani, R., Reynolds, J. N. J., Hall, M., Vanneste, S., & De Ridder, D. (2023). High-definition transcranial infraslow pink-noise stimulation can influence functional and effective cortical connectivity in individuals with chronic low back pain: A pilot randomized placebo-controlled study. Neuromodulation, 26, 788-800. doi: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.08.450

Journal - Research Article

Gandhi, K., Barzegar-Fallah, A., Banstola, A., Rizwan, S. B., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2022). Ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier disruption for drug delivery: A systematic review of protocols, efficacy, and safety outcomes from preclinical and clinical studies. Pharmaceutics, 14, 833. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040833

Journal - Research Article

Banstola, A., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2022). The sheep as a large animal model for the investigation and treatment of human disorders. Biology, 11, 1251. doi: 10.3390/biology11091251

Journal - Research Other

Barzegar-Fallah, A., Gandhi, K., Rizwan, S. B., Slatter, T. L., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2022). Harnessing ultrasound for targeting drug delivery to the brain and breaching the blood–brain tumour barrier. Pharmaceutics, 14(10), 2231. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102231

Journal - Research Other

Banstola, A., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2022). Mapping sheep to human brain: The need for a sheep brain atlas [Mini review]. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 961413. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.961413

Journal - Research Other

Nakano, T., Rizwan, S. B., Myint, D. M. A., Gray, J., Mackay, S. M., Harris, P., Perk, C. G., Hyland, B. I., Empson, R., Tan, E. W., … Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. R. (2022). An on-demand drug delivery system for control of epileptiform seizures. Pharmaceutics, 14, 468. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020468

Journal - Research Article

Adhia, D. B., Mani, R., Reynolds, J. N. J., Vanneste, S., & De Ridder, D. (2022). High-definition transcranial infraslow pink noise stimulation for chronic low back pain: protocol for a pilot, safety and feasibility randomised placebo-controlled trial. BMJ Open, 12, e056842. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056842

Journal - Research Other

Woolrych, A., Vautrelle, N., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Parr-Brownlie, L. C. (2021). Throwing open the doors of perception: The role of dopamine in visual processing. European Journal of Neuroscience, 54, 6135-6146. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15408

Journal - Research Article

Boddington, L. J., Gray, J. P., Schulz, J. M., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2020). Low-intensity contralesional electrical theta burst stimulation modulates ipsilesional excitability and enhances stroke recovery. Experimental Neurology, 323, 113071. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113071

Journal - Research Article

Mohammad, Y., Barzegar Fallah, A., Reynolds, J. N. J., Boyd, B. J., & Rizwan, S. B. (2020). Steric stabilisers govern the colloidal and chemical stability but not in vitro cellular toxicity of linoleoylethanolamide cubosomes. Colloids & Surfaces B, 192, 111063. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111063

Journal - Research Article

Mackay, S. M., Myint, D. M. A., Easingwood, R. A., Hegh, D. Y., Wickens, J. R., Hyland, B. I., Jameson, G. N. L., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Tan, E. W. (2019). Dynamic control of neurochemical release with ultrasonically-sensitive nanoshell-tethered liposomes. Communications Chemistry, 2, 122. doi: 10.1038/s42004-019-0226-0

Journal - Research Article

Stiles, L., Reynolds, J. N., Napper, R., Zheng, Y., & Smith, P. F. (2018). Single neuron activity and c-Fos expression in the rat striatum following electrical stimulation of the peripheral vestibular system. Physiological Reports, 6(13), e13791. doi: 10.14814/phy2.13791

Journal - Research Article

Mujoo, H., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Tucker, I. G. (2018). A real-time in vitro assay to evaluate the release of macromolecules from liposomes. Drug Testing & Analysis, 10(6), 1025-1032. doi: 10.1002/dta.2332

Journal - Research Article

Boddington, L. J., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2017). Targeting interhemispheric inhibition with neuromodulation to enhance stroke rehabilitation. Brain Stimulation, 10(2), 214-222. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2017.01.006

Journal - Research Article

McDonald, F. M., Reynolds, J. N. J., Bixley, A., & Spronken-Smith, R. (2017). Changes in approaches to learning over three years of university undergraduate study. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 5(2), 65-79. doi: 10.20343/teachlearninqu.5.2.6

Journal - Research Article

Matheson, N. A., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2017). Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). In J. Vonk & T. Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of animal cognition and behavior. (pp. 1-4). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_445-1

Chapter in Book - Research

Redgrave, P., Vautrelle, N., Overton, P. G., & Reynolds, J. (2017). Phasic dopamine signaling in action selection and reinforcement learning. In H. Steiner & K. Y. Tseng (Eds.), Handbook of basal ganglia structure and function. (2nd ed.) (pp. 707-723). London, UK: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-802206-1.00034-9

Chapter in Book - Research

Tang, A. D., Hong, I., Boddington, L. J., Garrett, A. R., Etherington, S., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Rodger, J. (2016). Low-intensity repetitive magnetic stimulation lowers action potential threshold and increases spike firing in layer 5 pyramidal neurons in vitro. Neuroscience, 335, 64-71. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.030

Journal - Research Article

Smith, L. M., Parr-Brownlie, L. C., Duncan, E. J., Black, M. A., Gemmell, N. J., Dearden, P. K., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2016). Striatal mRNA expression patterns underlying peak dose L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in the 6-OHDA hemiparkinsonian rat. Neuroscience, 324, 238-251. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.012

Journal - Research Article

Bednark, J. G., Reynolds, J. N. J., Stafford, T., Redgrave, P., & Franz, E. A. (2016). Action experience and action discovery in medicated individuals with Parkinson's disease. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10, 427. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00427

Journal - Research Article

Matheson, N. A., Shemmell, J. B. H., De Ridder, D., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2016). Understanding the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on neuronal circuits. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 10, 67. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00067

Journal - Research Article

Sykes, M., Matheson, N. A., Brownjohn, P. W., Tang, A. D., Rodger, J., Shemmell, J. B. H., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2016). Differences in motor evoked potentials induced in rats by transcranial magnetic stimulation under two separate anesthetics: Implications for plasticity studies. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 10, 80. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00080

Journal - Research Article

Wilson, M. T., Fung, P. K., Robinson, P. A., Shemmell, J., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2016). Calcium dependent plasticity applied to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation with a neural field model. Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 41(1), 107-125. doi: 10.1007/s10827-016-0607-7

Journal - Research Article

Mujoo, H., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Tucker, I. G. (2016). The influence of bile salts on the response of liposomes to ultrasound. Journal of Liposome Research, 26(2), 87-95. doi: 10.3109/08982104.2015.1019515

Journal - Research Article

Hinow, P., Radunskaya, A., Mackay, S. M., Reynolds, J. N. J., Schroeder, M., Tan, E. W., & Tucker, I. G. (2016). Signaled drug delivery and transport across the blood-brain barrier. Journal of Liposome Research, 26(3), 233-245. doi: 10.3109/08982104.2015.1102277

Journal - Research Article

Sizemore, R. J., Zhang, R., Lin, N., Goddard, L., Wastney, T., Parr-Brownlie, L. C., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Oorschot, D. E. (2016). Marked differences in the number and type of synapses innervating the somata and primary dendrites of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, striatal cholinergic interneurons and striatal spiny projection neurons in the rat. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 524(5), 1062-1080. doi: 10.1002/cne.23891

Journal - Research Article

Oswald, M. J., Schulz, J. M., Kelsch, W., Oorschot, D. E., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2015). Potentiation of NMDA receptor-mediated transmission in striatal cholinergic interneurons. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 9, 116. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00116

Journal - Research Article

Evans, M. C., Clark, V. W., Manning, P. J., De Ridder, D., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2015). Optimizing deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens in a reward preference rat model. Neuromodulation, 18(7), 531-541. doi: 10.1111/ner.12339

Journal - Research Article

Parr-Brownlie, L. C., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2015). Basal ganglia. In K. Rogers (Ed.), Encyclopædia Britannica. (Online ed.) Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com

Chapter in Book - Research

Fisher, S. D., Gray, J. P., Black, M. J., Davies, J. R., Bednark, J. G., Redgrave, P., Franz, E. A., Abraham, W. C., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2014). A behavioral task for investigating action discovery, selection and switching: Comparison between types of reinforcer. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 8, 398. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00398

Journal - Research Article

Barry, M. D., Boddington, L. J., Igelström, K. M., Gray, J. P., Shemmell, J., Tseng, K. Y., Oorschot, D. E., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2014). Utility of intracerebral theta burst electrical stimulation to attenuate interhemispheric inhibition and to promote motor recovery after cortical injury in an animal model. Experimental Neurology, 261, 258-266. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.05.023

Journal - Research Article

Fisher, S. D., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2014). The intralaminar thalamus: An expressway linking visual stimuli to circuits determining agency and action selection. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 8, 115. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00115

Journal - Research Article

Brownjohn, P. W., Reynolds, J. N. J., Matheson, N., Fox, J., & Shemmell, J. B. H. (2014). The effects of individualized theta burst stimulation on the excitability of the human motor system. Brain Stimulation, 7(2), 260-268. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2013.12.007

Journal - Research Article

Wilson, M. T., Goodwin, D. P., Brownjohn, P. W., Shemmell, J., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2014). Numerical modelling of plasticity induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 36(3), 499-514. doi: 10.1007/s10827-013-0485-1

Journal - Research Article

Nakano, T., Chin, C., Myint, D. M. A., Tan, E. W., Hale, P. J., Krishna M, B. M., Reynolds, J. N. J., … Dani, K. M. (2014). Mimicking subsecond neurotransmitter dynamics with femtosecond laser stimulated nanosystems. Scientific Reports, 4, 5398. doi: 10.1038/srep05398

Journal - Research Article

Clements, K. M., Devonshire, I. M., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Overton, P. G. (2014). Enhanced visual responses in the superior colliculus in an animal model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and their suppression by D-amphetamine. Neuroscience, 274, 289-298. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.05.054

Journal - Research Article

Schulz, J. M., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2013). Pause and rebound: Sensory control of cholinergic signaling in the striatum. Trends in Neurosciences, 36(1), 41-50. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2012.09.006

Journal - Research Article

Bednark, J. G., Reynolds, J. N. J., Stafford, T., Redgrave, P., & Franz, E. A. (2013). Creating a movement heuristic for voluntary action: Electrophysiological correlates of movement-outcome learning. Cortex, 49(3), 771-780. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2011.12.005

Journal - Research Article

Oorschot, D. E., Lin, N., Cooper, B. H., Reynolds, J. N. J., Sun, H., & Wickens, J. R. (2013). Synaptic connectivity between rat striatal spiny projection neurons in vivo: Unexpected multiple somatic innervation in the context of overall sparse proximal connectivity. Basal Ganglia, 3, 93-108. doi: 10.1016/j.baga.2013.04.001

Journal - Research Article

Clements, K. M., Smith, L. M., Reynolds, J. N. J., Overton, P. G., Thomas, J. D., & Napper, R. M. (2012). Early postnatal ethanol exposure: Glutamatergic excitotoxic cell death during acute withdrawal. Neurophysiology, 44(5), 376-386. doi: 10.1007/s11062-012-9308-7

Journal - Research Article

Schulz, J. M., Oswald, M. J., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2011). Visual-induced excitation leads to firing pauses in striatal cholinergic interneurons. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(31), 11133-11143. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0661-11.2011

Journal - Research Article

Schulz, J. M., Pitcher, T. L., Savanthrapadian, S., Wickens, J. R., Oswald, M. J., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2011). Enhanced high-frequency membrane potential fluctuations control spike output in striatal fast-spiking interneurones in vivo. Journal of Physiology, 589(17), 4365-4381. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.212944

Journal - Research Article

Redgrave, P., Vautrelle, N., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2011). Functional properties of the basal ganglia'sre-entrant loop architecture: Selection and reinforcement. Neuroscience, 198, 138-151. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.07.060

Journal - Research Article

Goldberg, J. A., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2011). Spontaneous firing and evoked pauses in the tonically active cholinergic interneurons of the striatum [Review]. Neuroscience, 198, 27-43. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.08.067

Journal - Research Article

Schulz, J. M., Redgrave, P., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2010). Cortico-striatal spike-timing dependent plasticity after activation of subcortical pathways. Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience, 2, 23. doi: 10.3389/fnsyn.2010.00023

Journal - Research Article

Redgrave, P., Coizet, V., & Reynolds, J. (2010). Phasic dopamine signaling and basal ganglia function. In H. Steiner & K. Y. Tseng (Eds.), Handbook of basal ganglia structure and function. (pp. 549-559). London: Academic Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Connelly, W. M., Schulz, J. M., Lees, G., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2010). Differential short-term plasticity at convergent inhibitory synapses to the substantia nigra pars reticulata. Journal of Neuroscience, 30(44), 14854-14861. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3895-10.2010

Journal - Research Article

Sizemore, R. J., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Oorschot, D. E. (2010). Number and type of synapses on the distal dendrite of a rat striatal cholinergic interneuron: A quantitative, ultrastructural study. Journal of Anatomy, 217, 223-235. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2010.01264.x

Journal - Research Article

Wilson, M. T., Barry, M., Reynolds, J. N. J., Crump, W. P., Steyn-Ross, D. A., Steyn-Ross, M. L., & Sleigh, J. W. (2010). An analysis of the transitions between down and up states of the cortical slow oscillation under urethane anaesthesia. Journal of Biological Physics, 36(3), 245-259. doi: 10.1007/s10867-009-9180-x

Journal - Research Article

Walker, R., Spronken-Smith, R., Bond, C., McDonald, F., Reynolds, J., & McMartin, A. (2010). The impact of curriculum change on health sciences first year students' approaches to learning. Instructional Science, 38(6), 707-722. doi: 10.1007/s11251-009-9092-y

Journal - Research Article

Schulz, J. M., Redgrave, P., Mehring, C., Aertsen, A., Clements, K. M., Wickens, J. R., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2009). Short-latency activation of striatal spiny neurons via subcortical visual pathways. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(19), 6336-6347. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.4815-08.2009

Journal - Research Article

Oswald, M. J., Oorschot, D. E., Schulz, J. M., Lipski, J., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2009). IH current generates the afterhyperpolarisation following activation of subthreshold cortical synaptic inputs to striatal cholinergic interneurons. Journal of Physiology, 587(24), 5879-5897. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.177600

Journal - Research Article

Redgrave, P., Gurney, K., & Reynolds, J. (2008). What is reinforced by phasic dopamine signals? Brain Research Reviews, 58(2), 322-339. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2007.10.007

Journal - Research Article

Wilson, M. T., Barry, M., Reynolds, J. N. J., Hutchison, E. J. W., & Steyn-Ross, D. A. (2008). Characteristics of temporal fluctuations in the hyperpolarized state of the cortical slow oscillation. Physical Review E: Statistical, Nonlinear, & Soft Matter Physics, 77, 061908. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.77.061908

Journal - Research Article

Pitcher, T. L., Wickens, J. R., & Reynolds, J. N. J. (2007). Differences in striatal spiny neuron action potentials between the spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rat strains. Neuroscience, 146, 135-142.

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, J. N. J., Hyland, B. I., & Wickens, J. R. (2004). Modulation of an afterhyperpolarization by the substantia nigra induces pauses in the tonic firing of striatal cholinergic interneurons. Journal of Neuroscience, 24(44), 9870-9877.

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. R. (2004). The corticostriatal input to giant aspiny interneurons in the rat: A candidate pathway for synchronising the response to reward-related cues. Brain Research, 1011, 115-128.

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. (2003). A state-dependent trigger for electrophysiological recording at predetermined membrane potentials. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 131, 111-119.

Journal - Research Article

Wickens, J., Reynolds, J. N. J., & Hyland, B. I. (2003). Neural mechanisms of reward-related motor learning. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 13, 685-690.

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. (2002). Dopamine-dependent plasticity of corticostriatal synapses. Neural Networks, 15(4-6), 507-521. doi: 10.1016/S0893-6080(02)00045-X

Journal - Research Article

Hyland, B. I., Reynolds, J. N. J., Hay, J., Perk, C. G., & Miller, R. (2002). Firing modes of midbrain dopamine cells in the freely moving rat. Neuroscience, 114(2), 475-492.

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. (2002). Self-stimulation and synaptic plasticity. A novel approach to reward-related learning. In L. Nicholson & R. L. M. Faull (Eds.), The Basal Ganglia VII. (pp. 299-312). USA: Plenum Press.

Chapter in Book - Research

Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. (2000). Substantia nigra dopamine regulates synaptic plasticity and membrane potential fluctuations in the rat neostriatum, in vivo. Neuroscience, 99(2), 199-203.

Journal - Research Article

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