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Learned odor discrimination and generalization are reflected in patterns of ensemble activity in anterior piriform cortex, where learned discrimination between two odors reduces the correlation between their induced patterns.
CRMP and ankyrin have been implicated individually in the regulation of neuronal polarity. A study now identifies an interaction between them that controls microtubule organization and thereby protein sorting into axons and dendrites.
Are astrocytes merely housekeeping cells that maintain constant the environment of neurons or are they important for CNS information processing? Intense debate over the function of calcium signaling in astrocytes will increase with the discovery of a previously unknown mechanism by which astrocyte [Ca2+]i is regulated.
A study finds that the voltage-gated K+ channel KCNQ4 is expressed in a subset of rapidly adapting, low-threshold mechanoreceptors, where it shapes the response profile to dynamic tactile stimuli.
Reward signals are widespread in the brain, but why? A study now identifies an important difference in the reward signals encoded by the neurons in the primate anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices during decision making, suggesting that reward-related activity in these areas is shaped by different contextual factors.
Variations in the arginine vasopressin receptor gene, AVPR1A, are shown to be associated with pain sensitivity in a stress- and sex-specific manner in both mice and men.
Orchestration of gene expression enables coordination between the nucleus and synapses. A report now uncovers a function for the fragile X mental retardation protein in RNA editing necessary for synaptic development.
A study now reports the genome-wide profiling of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, an alternate epigenetic state of DNA modification, of the mouse brain across development, aging and in a neurodevelopmental disease model.
Recent work in a number of species has emphasized the role of orbitofrontal cortex in value-based decision-making. However, discrepancies have arisen when comparing the findings from animal models to those from humans. In this review, the author examines several possibilities that might explain these discrepancies.
This review addresses the issues that attend gene discovery in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). It summarizes recent findings in human genetics and their relevance to models of pathology, highlights the issues raised by the apparent convergence of ASD genetic risks with distinct psychiatric disorders, and considers the interaction of neurobiology and genetics in our understanding of social disability syndromes.
People tend to remain overly optimistic even when faced with information about a gloomy future. A study now shows that people are selectively worse at incorporating information about a worse-than-expected future. It also describes the learning signals in the brain that correlate with this bias.
Neurons form synapses with oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) that may control their maturation and myelination. Key signaling molecules regulating glutamate receptors at neuronal synapses also act in OPCs, but to opposite effect.
Patchy variation in odor-evoked electrical activity in the human olfactory epithelium is found to correlate with stimulus pleasantness. This finding depends on a new technique for recording directly from awake humans.
This perspective discusses newly discovered mechanisms leading to cellular ionic imbalances, as well as underappreciated signaling cascades that mediate cell death and that may add to the traditional glutamatergic mechanisms to which ischemic brain injury is ascribed. An integrated consideration of such new mechanisms may aid in formulating better therapies.
Blood vessels in the CNS have traditionally been considered neutral bystanders that passively adapt in response to the needs of neural cells. This review surveys recent evidence that blood vessels actively participate in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders and the implications of this work for therapy.
