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To reach their final destinations within the nervous system, glial cells must often migrate over long distances. Klämbt discusses the mechanisms of glial cell migration, highlighting common mechanisms and differences between vertebrate and invertebrate glial migration.
An important role for zinc homeostasis in brain function has recently emerged. Sensi and colleagues review the evidence pointing to the physiological role of zinc in the regulation of synaptic excitability and to its pathophysiological role in brain trauma and Alzheimer's disease.
Vann and colleagues review anatomical, lesion and imaging studies suggesting that the retrosplenial cortex is involved in navigation and memory. They propose that it achieves this function through a key role in scene construction by translating between different perspectives of the environment.
Brain activation during REM sleep and dreaming resembles that during waking, but what is the meaning of this activity? Allan Hobson discusses the emergence of REM sleep states during evolution and development and proposes that the activity constitutes a protoconscious state.
Advances in brain research capture public attention not only through the media but also through the arts and commercial products. Frazzetto and Anker reflect on the numerous cultural products that are inspired by neuroscience research and highlight the dialogue between science and culture.
Five years after the launch of the Allen Brain Atlas, Jones and colleagues describe the challenges faced during the early years of the project, the contributions that it has made to neuroscience research to date and the opportunities for its use in the future.
