Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Two studies in this issue show that the protein MeCP2, which is implicated in Rett syndrome, also critically regulates behavioral responses to psychostimulants. Although the two studies highlight different mechanisms of MeCP2 in regulating these behaviors, both underscore the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in establishing drug addiction.
A study in this issue finds that under conditions of intense activity at specific inhibitory synapses, the voltage gated Cl− channel CIC-2 is vital for allowing efflux of accumulated internal Cl−.
An examination of the micro-organization of visual cortex using two-photon calcium imaging provides a new level of insight into retinotopic maps, finding that retinotopy is scrambled on fine scales in mouse primary visual cortex.
How do we estimate the duration of a temporal interval in a familiar context? A new study finds that it is appropriate, perhaps even advantageous, to tolerate a small bias in our estimate to reduce the overall temporal uncertainty.
A study shows that spatial learning is accompanied by the reorganization of place fields of hippocampal CA1 neurons, and that this reorganization is subsequently reactivated in an NMDA-dependent manner for memory consolidation.
Narrowing down the genetic basis of Down syndrome, in which hundreds of genes are triplicated, has been difficult. A new study finds that the expression of two affected genes, Olig1 and Olig2, is critical for maintaining the balance of inhibitory and excitatory signaling in a mouse model of Down syndrome.
A new study finds that neurons in the ferret frontal cortex typically respond to sound only during trained auditory tasks and that these neurons depict the task-related meaning rather than the acoustical properties of stimuli.
A study reports a new method for wholesale labeling of neuronal proteins in situ that can visualize newly synthesized protein in a manner compatible with standard immunostaining techniques.
Melanocortin signaling in the CNS, which crucially regulates feeding and energy expenditure, also regulates the expression of a hepatic cholesterol re-uptake receptor. Thus, the brain in rodents directly controls the levels of circulating high-density cholesterol species. The relevance to human cholesterol metabolism remains unknown.
Acupuncture entails stimulating discrete points on the body with needles to alleviate pain. A study in this issue finds that local activation of adenosine A1 receptors in mice contributes to the anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture.
High Na+ channel density is thought to underlie the axon initial segment's (AIS's) low action potential initiation threshold, but a new study estimates functional Na+ channel density in the AIS is only threefold higher than in the soma.
A newly discovered population of glutamatergic brainstem neurons that can be activated by muscarinic agonists augments transmission from the mesencephalic locomotor region to reticulospinal neurons in the locomotor pathway.
A study in this issue finds that laboratory strains of male mice can recognize their offspring as adults if given the chance to interact with infant pups. This recognition requires prolactin-mediated adult neurogenesis in the male parent's olfactory bulb and hippocampus.
Cilia are increasingly appreciated regulators of brain homeostasis. Several recent studies examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms of their biogenesis and orientation in ependymal cells.
New work identifies a neurogenic progenitor population in the developing human and ferret cortex that may have contributed substantially to the evolution of cortical expansion and folding in higher mammals.
Combining cell group specific gene expression patterns with recent technologies has provided insights into brain circuitry. A new resource may make it possible for those studying the hypothalamus to use these techniques as well.
Rats given extended access to high-fat high-sugar food show behavioral and physiological changes that are similar to those caused by drugs of abuse. However, parallels between drug and food “addiction” should be drawn with caution.
The molecular mechanisms responsible for anxiety remain largely unresolved. A study in this issue finds that an interaction between receptors for a hormone and a neurotransmitter regulates anxiety.
