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Presynaptic GABABreceptors sense local variations in basal GABA levels and homeostatically regulate release probability at individual excitatory boutons.
Glucocorticoid hormones modulate the acquisition and consolidation of memories of stressful events. Krugers and colleagues review recent evidence that glucocorticoids achieve this through rapid and persistent effects on AMPA receptors by activation of mineralocorticoid receptors and glucocorticoid receptors, respectively.
Activation of NMDARs can both promote neuronal health and kill neurons. In this Review, Hardingham and Bading discuss the downstream effects of stimulation of synaptic NMDARs and extrasynaptic NMDARs that result in promotion of neuroprotection and cell death, respectively.
Emotional stimuli, such as a fear-expressing face, can be processed without being consciously perceived and can influence behaviour. Tamietto and de Gelder describe the subcortical pathway that processes such stimuli, and discuss whether subcortical versus cortical processing of stimuli translate into non-conscious versus conscious perception. An interview with Beatrice de Gelder for Neuropod is available for download.
Lightman and Conway-Campbell review findings showing that, superimposed on its well-known circadian rhythm, the HPA axis shows ultradian, oscillatory activity. They describe how the resulting pulsatile release of glucocorticoids maintains optimal responsiveness of the HPA axis and the brain processes regulated by these hormones.
To celebrate the first 10 years ofNature Reviews Neuroscience, we invited the authors of the most cited article of each year to look back on the state of their field at the time of publication and the impact their article has had, and to discuss the questions that might be answered in the next 10 years.