Volume 4 Issue 4, April 2001

Johnson, Hawken and Shapley investigate color information in primary visual cortex (V1). Contrary to current opinion, they find that many neurons in V1 are highly sensitive to color and that color information is prominently used in the analysis of visual form.

Acetylcholine receptor gene expression is induced locally at the developing neuromuscular junction. A new paper shows that this process requires cyclin-dependent kinase 5.

The neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome involves mutations in the transcriptional repressor MECP2. Two groups now show a role for MECP2 in postmitotic mouse neurons.

The role of thalamic burst firing in normal behavior has been controversial, but a paper in this issue offers powerful evidence that bursting may serve as a 'wake-up call' to cortex.

A new study shows the evolution of a computation in cortical area MT. Neurons that calculate visual motion go from fast approximation to a slower, more accurate solution.