Reviews & Analysis

Fang and Creed review and synthesize recent studies of the striatum and pallidal complex. Based on connectivity and organization of striatal–pallidal pathways in rodents, they propose how these structures coordinate learning and flexible behavior.

This Review explains how the neural coding of uncertainty is theoretically conceived and empirically tested. It compares the approaches of two largely separate research communities and proposes goals for the field that combine these approaches.

Engelen et al. review in animals and humans how the CNS senses cardiac, respiratory and gastric rhythmic activity, and detail the range of cognitive functions impacted, from perceptual detection up to the sense of self.

This Review provides a comprehensive overview of the neuronal heterogeneity, circuit architecture and functional roles of the external globus pallidus, with emphasis on how the latest data deviate from traditional views of the basal ganglia.

The immune system plays a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases. Resident and peripheral immune cells contribute to disease progression. Here, the authors review the role of peripheral immune cells both when infiltrating the CNS or when remaining in the periphery.

In this Review, Villeda and colleagues describe blood-to-brain communication from a systems physiology perspective, with an emphasis on blood-derived signals as potent drivers of both age-related brain dysfunction and brain rejuvenation.

Single-cell genomics reveal that Alzheimer’s dementia involves the complex interplay of virtually every major brain cell type. Cell-type-specific molecular perturbations modulate signaling pathways related to lipid handling, immune signaling and metabolic reprogramming.