Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Sub-additive responses to simultaneously presented stimuli and quenching of variability in responses to repeated presentations of a stimulus are characteristics of neurons in the primary visual cortex. In this Perspective, Goris et al. argue that these phenomena often co-occur and may have common mechanistic and computational origins.
Exposure to acute and long-term exposure to cold temperatures results in the activation of thermoregulatory mechanisms that are under CNS control. In this Review, Mota and Madden discuss long-term physiological adaptations to cold exposure, with an emphasis on the specific states of hibernation, torpor and obesity.
A direct influence of light exposure on cognition and behaviour, beyond that associated with circadian rhythms, has been reported. Mahoney and Schmidt consider the evidence for light’s effects on aspects of cognitive neurobehavioural performance, summarize current understanding of the underlying cellular and circuit mechanisms and point to future directions for this field of research.
In mice, a subset of neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus control sympathetic nervous system signalling to adipose tissue and are dysregulated with age; activating these neurons prolongs lifespan and slows the decline in physical activity associated with ageing.
Animals frequently engage in curiosity-related behaviours that appear to provide them with no immediate benefits. Monosov discusses the neural circuits in the primate brain that are involved in these non-instrumental information-seeking behaviours, focusing on those that mediate the exploration of novel objects and the pursuit of information to reduce future uncertainties.
During adolescence, we acquire skills and behavioural patterns that support our future survival through goal-directed learning. Wilbrecht and Davidow describe the neural and cognitive systems that support goal-directed learning in adolescence, as well as our growing understanding of the influence of context on this process.
A study analyses the nanotopography of presynaptic calcium channels and release sensors and the degree of their coupling during maturation of an inhibitory synapse.
‘Mechanism’ is a frequently used causal concept in neuroscience but can have different meanings that are often not specified. In this Review, Ross and Bassett explore these different meanings and the challenges associated with the variable usage of this term before discussing how these challenges may be met.
Within the CNS, APOE4 — a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease — is produced by a variety of cell types. Blumenfeld, Yip, Kim and Huang discuss recent scientific advances that have begun to unravel the cell type-specific roles of APOE4 and outline a corresponding cell type-specific APOE4 cascade model of Alzheimer disease.
Data-driven disease progression models are computational tools that infer long-term disease timelines from short-term biomarker data and may provide insights into disease processes. In this Review, Young, Oxtoby et al. provide an overview of such models, with a focus on how they have been used in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, notably Alzheimer disease.
Around 10% of individuals with frontotemporal lobar dementia have amyloid filament inclusions that lack tau and TDP-43 and were thought to contain the protein FUS, but are found instead to contain the FUS homologue TAF15.
Cytoplasmic mislocalization of TDP-43 in neurodegenerative disease affects mRNA maturation and protein levels of stathmin-2, leading to a reduction in axon diameter and tearing of outer myelin layers and thereby disrupting neuronal function.
A study in mice identifies formin 2 as a regulator of axon regeneration and a potential target for promoting nerve repair after peripheral nerve injury.
Synaptic engineering involves the synthetic insertion of new synapses between neurons in vivo. In this Perspective, Rabinowitch, Colón-Ramos and Krieg explore this emerging approach for studying neural circuits, describing the different methods that have been used and how they have been implemented.
A mark test of self-recognition in mice reveals that self-responding ventral CA1 neurons underlie mirror-induced self-directed behaviour and are shaped by social experience with conspecifics.
