Table of contents
From the editors
p679 | doi:10.1038/nrn2004
Research Highlights
Brain evolution: RNA on the brain makes us different
p680 | doi:10.1038/nrn1994
Sensory systems: Adjustable acuity
p681 | doi:10.1038/nrn1995
In brief
Synaptic physiology | Development | Sensory systems | Behavioural neuroscience
p681 | doi:10.1038/nrn2002
Neurodegenerative disorders: Receptor traffic — parkin rules
p682 | doi:10.1038/nrn1998
Neurological disorders: Mind over machine
p682 | doi:10.1038/nrn2001
In the news
Making waves
p682 | doi:10.1038/nrn2003
Cognitive neuroscience: Try to remember...
p683 | doi:10.1038/nrn2000
Development: Forming the optic disc
p684 | doi:10.1038/nrn1996
Neurodegenerative disorders: New neurons repair Parkinson's brain
p684 | doi:10.1038/nrn1999
Cell biology of the neuron: Pruning processes
p685 | doi:10.1038/nrn1997
Reviews
The origin and specification of cortical interneurons
Carl P. Wonders and Stewart A. Anderson
p687 | doi:10.1038/nrn1954
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.
Enriched environments, experience-dependent plasticity and disorders of the nervous system
Jess Nithianantharajah and Anthony J. Hannan
p697 | doi:10.1038/nrn1970
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.
Molecular biology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: insights from genetics
Piera Pasinelli and Robert H. Brown
p710 | doi:10.1038/nrn1971
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.
Neural tube defects and folate: case far from closed
Henk J. Blom, Gary M. Shaw, Martin den Heijer and Richard H. Finnell
p724 | doi:10.1038/nrn1986
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.
Article series: Neuroimaging
Applications of fMRI in translational medicine and clinical practice
Paul M. Matthews, Garry D. Honey and Edward T. Bullmore
p732 | doi:10.1038/nrn1929
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.
Perspectives
Essay
Imagining the brain cell: the neuron in visual culture
Richard Wingate and Marius Kwint
p745 | doi:10.1038/nrn1973
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.
