Review Articles in 2018

The gastrointestinal tract is innervated by the enteric nervous system (ENS), and disruption of ENS development can result in various gastrointestinal disorders. Here, Rao and Gershon review the complex processes involved in ENS development, including cell migration, proliferation and organization.

Modern network neuroscience involves the use of various types of models to understand the brain. In this Review, Bassett, Zurn and Gold discuss the aims of this approach before examining how network models may be categorized and validated.

Long-term episodic memory storage has been proposed to require a reorganization of neural circuits and networks in a process known as systems consolidation. Tonegawa and colleagues discuss recent advances in our understanding of the contribution of engram cells to this process.

Anhedonia and apathy are syndromes affecting motivation and have been reported in various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Husain and Roiser examine the neural mechanisms underlying apathy and anhedonia within a transdiagnostic framework of effort-based decision making for reward.

The opioid system is central to addiction. Darcq and Kieffer review the role of these receptors in the addiction neurocircuitry, ask whether opioid receptors can be targeted to kill pain without addiction and discuss studies that bridge the translational gap in the field.

In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus acts as the principal pacemaker for circadian rhythms, which are powerful regulators of physiology and behaviour. In this Review, Hastings, Maywood and Brancaccio examine the molecular, cellular and circuit mechanisms underlying time-keeping in the SCN.

Decision-making requires us to correctly evaluate the likely outcomes of our choices. Murray and Rudebeck describe how evidence from lesion and neurophysiology studies in non-human primates has given us insight into the specific contributions of prefrontal cortex subdivisions in this process.

Gliomas represent the most deadly of human brain tumours; however, little progress has been made towards their successful treatment. In this Review, Deneen and colleagues discuss how glioma tumorigenesis resembles glial development and how this may inform novel therapies.

Breathing is a crucial yet surprisingly complex behaviour. Del Negro, Funk and Feldman describe the neural mechanisms underlying different phases of the breathing cycle, and how breathing affects, and is affected by, emotion, cognition and other behaviours.

The neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome is caused by a deficiency in methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Ip, Mellios and Sur describe the many functions of MeCP2 and the effects of MeCP2 loss on gene expression, excitation–inhibition balance and activity-dependent plasticity.

Peripheral axon injury initiates a regenerative response that is absent in CNS axons. Mahar and Cavalli describe the mechanisms that initiate and coordinate the programme of transcriptional and epigenetic changes that enable axon regeneration in the peripheral nervous system.

The basal ganglia and the cerebellum were thought to communicate via the cerebral cortex. In this Review, Andreea Bostan and Peter Strick discuss findings indicating that these subcortical areas are in fact interconnected and, along with the cerebral cortex, form an integrated network.

Fibrinogen enters the brain in a wide range of brain diseases that involve blood–brain barrier disruption. In this Review, Petersen et al. discuss recent evidence that fibrinogen causes damage that contributes to the pathology of a range of neurological disorders and discuss therapeutic implications.

Animals exhibit a variety of different responses to threatening stimuli, including both innate and instrumental behaviours. LeDoux and Daw describe a new taxonomy of defensive behaviours and review what we know about the underlying neural circuits and computational processes.

Advanced recording techniques have enabled the identification of travelling waves of neuronal activity in different areas of the cortex. Sejnowski and colleagues review these findings, consider the mechanisms by which travelling waves are generated and evaluate their possible roles in cortical function.

The morphology of dendrites and dendritic spines changes with development and as a result of activity-dependent plasticity mechanisms. Penzes and colleagues describe the altered dendritic structural plasticity that is associated with some neuropsychiatric disorders and consider the underlying molecular mechanisms, based on recent genetic discoveries.

Much research has shown that lactate produced by astrocytes serves as a neuronal energy substrate. In this Review, Magistretti and Allaman describe this model as well as recent evidence that lactate also modulates neuronal properties, including excitability and plasticity, thus helping to set the 'homeostatic tone' of the nervous system.

Coordination between peripheral signals that reflect feeding status and central regulatory mechanisms are crucial for regulating body weight. In this Review, Sandoval and colleagues discuss how and where peripherally derived signals are integrated within the CNS to modulate feeding behaviour.

How are synapses optimally strengthened or weakened to improve network performance? Roelfsema and Holtmaat provide an overview of factors that influence synaptic plasticity, particularly in deep, multilayered biological networks, and present a specific framework in which neuromodulators and feedback connections may interact to selectively potentiate synapses responsible for rewarded action.

The human brain undergoes rapid development during the first 2 years of life. Here, Gilmore and colleagues give an overview of recent neuroimaging studies of the developmental trajectories of brain structure and function in the first years after birth.