●Human brain evolution: insights from microarrays. Preuss, T. M., Cáceres, M., Oldham, M. C. & Geschwind, D. H. Nature Reviews Genetics November (2004)

●Apoptosis pathways and drug targets.Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery November (2004) This joint poster, sponsored by Merck Research Laboratories - Boston, provides a useful overview of the main apoptotic pathways. The poster will be freely available online for 6 months (http://www.nature.com/reviews/poster/apoptosis).

●How to make an ape brain. Varki, A. Nature Genetics October (2004) Changes in neurotransmitter regulation might have been crucial in the evolution of humans from their primate ancestors. This News and Views article reports that the adaptive evolution of a hominoid gene probably facilitated higher glutamate flux, and, therefore, might have led to enhanced cognitive function in humans and apes.

●Defeating dementia. Martin, G. M. Nature 16 September (2004) A review of the book New Frontiers in Cognitive Aging edited by Dixon, R. A., Bäckman, L. & Nilsson, L.-G.

●Dopamine: should I stay or should I go now? Jorgensen, E. M. Nature Neuroscience October (2004) This News and Views article describes recent evidence from Caenorhabditis elegans that dopamine exerts its antagonistic effects on locomotion extrasynaptically through the activation of D1- and D2-like receptors, which in turn activate the antagonistic G-protein pathways, and establishes C. elegans as a useful model for studying these opposing pathways.

●Antidepressants: bitter pills. Check, E. Nature 9 September (2004)

●Head to head.Nature 16 September (2004) The battle for the US Presidential election is now in full force, and science is an important subject on the political agenda. But where do George W. Bush and his challenger, John Kerry, stand on some of today's fundamental scientific issues? Nature asked them 15 questions about their science policies, including their views on stem-cell research.

●Ancient viral protein enrages astrocytes in multiple sclerosis. Mattson, M. P. & Taub, D. D. Nature Neuroscience October (2004)

●Focus on the sexual brain.Nature Neuroscience October (2004)

●Sexual differentiation of the vertebrate nervous system. Morris, J. A., Jordan, C. L. & Breedlove, S. M.

●The neural basis of puberty and adolescence. Sisk, C. L. & Foster, D. L.

●The neurobiology of pair bonding. Young, L. J. & Wang, Z.