Articles in 2010

The SCN drives circadian rhythms in body temperature, which provides the entraining cue for mammalian peripheral clocks.

Signalling through the BDNF pathway in the D1 and D2 dopamine receptor expressing neurons in the nucleus accumbens has opposing effects on cocaine reward.

Microglial cells derive from primitive haematopoietic progenitors.

Recent evidence suggests that mutations inLRRK2are linked to Parkinson's disease. In this Progress article, Mark Cookson discusses how these mutations might affect LRRK2 function and its interactions with other proteins that have been implicated in Parkinson's disease, specifically α-synuclein and tau.

Dual specificity protein phosphatase 1 is upregulated in major depressive disorder.

HSV-1 latency is maintained by a host cell signalling pathway activated by NGF.

Endocannabinoid activation of astrocytic CB1Rs potentiates neurotransmission at synapses far away from the site of endocannabinoid release.

The functional integrity of the blood–brain barrier is regulated by pericytes during development and in adulthood.

Neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord process sensory information and transmit it to the brain. Andrew Todd describes the complex neuronal organization and circuitry of this region and discusses the changes in the dorsal horn that that could underlie hyperalgesia and allodynia.

Sensory synapses of the auditory and visual systems need to encode a wide dynamic range of stimuli. Matthews and Fuchs discuss how it is increasingly certain that the ribbon synapse, a highly specialized structure capable of sustained and rapid transmitter release, plays a key part.

Nogo proteins inhibit axonal regeneration after injury, but recent studies have shed light on their physiological role in the intact CNS. Martin Schwab reviews the current knowledge of the complex receptor interactions of Nogo proteins and their role in stabilizing CNS wiring during development and in adulthood.

Recent research has revealed similarities between speech and birdsong on different levels. Bolhuis et al. discuss parallels between humans and songbirds in terms of vocal learning, the neural networks underlying vocalization and the role of FOXP2, highlighting both general and species-specific principles.

A subcortical pathway is assumed to mediate non-conscious visual processing of emotional stimuli. In this provocative Perspective, Pessoa and Adolphs argue that this pathway does not exist in primates and propose novel roles for the amygdala and the cortex in visual emotion processing.

Defects in the polyamine pathway, including aberrant spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1) activity, may play a part in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.

SSRIs are used to treat depression and have a delayed onset of action. The mechanism involves post-transcriptional regulation of a serotonin transporter in the raphe nucleus and the locus coeruleus.

A small molecule that increases endocannabinoid signalling at sensory nerve terminals enhances analgesia.