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Childhood trauma can predispose people with certain genotypes to disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder in adulthood. Now, Klengelet al. show that a particular polymorphism in a gene involved in glucocorticoid regulation can interact with childhood trauma, leading to lasting epigenetic changes in the stress response system.
The recruitment of V2a interneurons to increase swimming speed in zebrafish is incremental and is determined by the combined effect of their excitatory synaptic currents and input resistance.
Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 1, which promotes mRNA translation, is an important regulator of neuronal mitochondrial ATP generation.
Microsaccades are small, rapid eye movements that occur when we are attempting to fix our gaze on one spot. Martinez-Condeet al. review the physiology and functions of microsaccades and conclude that they form part of a continuum with larger saccades.
Long-lasting memories require specific gene expression programmes that are, in part, orchestrated by epigenetic mechanisms such as histone acetylation. Gräff and Tsai review the roles of histone acetylation in memory and consider whether histone deacetylase inhibitors might have promise as therapeutic interventions against cognitive frailty.
The emergence of human cognition during evolution did not just involve mutations in brain-related genes. In this Review, Khaitovich and colleagues consider the contribution of human-specific changes in metabolism and gene expression, and their underlying mechanisms, to the human cognitive phenotype.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in humans, but the therapeutic options for TBI are limited. Xionget al. critically review animal models of TBI and discuss how studies involving such models could be improved to develop more-effective TBI treatments.
Homeostatic maintenance of the state of the body within an optimal range is essential for survival. Damasio and Carvalho discuss how feelings derived from body states enhance the effectiveness of the corrective response and suggest a cellular mechanism for how feelings might be generated.
