Articles in 2011

Animal studies have shown that oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are crucial regulators of social behaviour. In this Review, Meyer-Lindenberg and colleagues consider behavioural, genetic and neuroimaging studies that show that these peptides also influence social behaviour and cognition in humans, and suggest that the OXT and AVP systems could be targets for the treatment of mental disorders characterized by social dysfunction.

Loss of delta-like homologue 1 (Dlk1) imprinting in the subventricular zone regulates postnatal neurogenesis.

Harris and Thiele review studies of state-dependent cortical processing in rodents and of attention in the primate visual system, and show that the two processes have many similarities. They propose that selective attention involves a process similar to state change, operating at a local level to enhance the representation of otherwise subtle stimuli, while suppressing internally generated activity patterns.

A multisynaptic pathway from the hippocampal CA3 via the lateral septum to the ventral tegmental area links spatial context to reward.

There is currently no effective treatment for glioma, the most common type of brain tumour. Recent technological advances have made it possible to gain a more detailed understanding of the molecular processes underlying tumour cell differentiation and the findings suggest new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Schema-dependent memory formation involves parallel encoding in the hippocampus and in the neocortex.

Death receptor 6 negatively regulates the survival and maturation of oligodendrocytes and limits remyelination.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness that affects many people. The aetiology and pathophysiology of CFS remain poorly understood, and few treatments are available.Nature Reviews Neuroscienceasked four scientists involved in CFS research about their views on the condition and the future of research — including the role of neuroscience — aimed at improving our understanding of this chronic illness.

Social stress processing in healthy individuals is affected by city living and an urban upbringing

Rare copy number variations explain a relatively large proportion of sporadic cases of autism spectrum disorders.

Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), has neuroprotective effects in models of several neurodegenerative diseases. In this Review, Vila and colleagues discuss the mechanisms by which rapamycin exerts neuroprotection, including effects on autophagy and apoptosis, and on the translation of pro-death and pro-survival proteins.

Immune factors mediate the effect of circadian disruption on depression-like behaviour

Loneliness increases aggressiveness, even in flies

Adult hippocampal neural stem cells can give rise to persisting populations of stem cells and neurons, with cell fate being affected by an animal's experiences.