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Interneurons are a diverse set of neurons that comprise various morphological, physiological and chemical characteristics. Recent work has shed light on the origins and specification of distinct subtypes of cortical interneurons, which could drive new discoveries on cortical function.
Enhanced novelty and complexity in the environment can have impressive effects on experience-dependent plasticity under normal conditions. Moreover, such enriched environments can delay the onset and progression of a range of CNS disorders, with important implications for therapeutic strategies.
Mutations in proteins essential for certain cellular processes have been implicated in motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Pasinelli and Brown review how genetic analyses of these effects are unravelling the diverse molecular pathways involved in ALS pathogenesis.
Failure of neural tube closure leads to neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, and has been linked to insufficiency of folate. The genetic and molecular mechanisms that link folate metabolism to neural tube defects are now being unravelled.
The ability to directly image alterations in brain function has been highly influential for cognitive neuroscience. Functional MRI is now emerging as a promising clinical tool for informing diagnosis and therapy for a range of disorders of the nervous system.
Although the identification of the neuron revolutionized scientific understanding of the brain, neuronal imagery has not gained broad appeal. Wingate and Kwint discuss how developments in neuronal imaging and a shifting artistic climate have changed the way in which the neuron is used in visual culture.
