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An optogenetic study reveals a medial prefrontal cortex–dorsal raphe nucleus pathway that specifically controls action selection in a challenging environment.
Alterations in the light–dark cycle can cause depression and learning deficits without disrupting circadian rhythms or sleep. LeGateset al. show that light exposure detected by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells directly influences mood.
The neurovascular mechanisms that underlie functional MRI are still unclear. Now, Goenseet al. show that positive and negative responses arise from different, layer-specific processes.
In CNS neurons, the somatic membrane potential is subject to subthreshold analogue modulation. This analogue component increases the information content of action potentials and has important implications for information processing in neural networks.
In this Opinion article, Masri and Sassone-Corsi discuss the complex interconnections between circadian rhythms, metabolic processes and epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. They propose that cellular metabolic state and epigenetic mechanisms might work through the circadian clock to regulate neuronal function and influence disease states.
Acute activity-induced cleavage of neuroligin 1 acts as a local homeostatic mechanism to regulate structural and functional synaptic plasticity at individual synapses.
Two new studies reveal the existence of an oxytocin–vasopressin-related signalling system inCaenorhabditis elegansthat modulates certain worm behaviours.
In the human brain, parts of the fusiform gyrus respond selectively to images of faces. Parviziet al. show that electrical perturbation of these areas causes the perception of faces to become distorted.
Despite their structural similarities and seemingly coordinated expression patterns, oligodendrocyte transcription factor 1 (OLIG1) and OLIG2 have largely non-overlapping roles in CNS development, brain diseases and neural repair. Here, the authors review the molecular factors that may account for the divergent functions of these proteins.
Down syndrome is the most common genetic form of intellectual disability. In this Review, Mara Dierssen examines the underlying mechanisms that give rise to brain dysfunction in Down syndrome and discusses therapeutic approaches that are under investigation to combat cognitive deficits associated with this condition.
Many animals, from worms to humans, show structural and functional asymmetries in their nervous systems. Concha, Bianco and Wilson describe two fundamental types of nervous system asymmetry and discuss how they emerge during development and influence behaviour.
All cells are influenced by mechanical forces, but the effects of mechanical energy in the brain have received relatively little attention. William Tyler summarizes the main mechanical events that take place in neurons and their effects on neuronal function, and argues for an increased consideration of mechanobiology in neuroscience.
Chronic pain is more prevalent in women than in men. In this Perspective, Jeffrey Mogil argues that this sex bias in clinical pain is due to a sex difference in pain sensitivity and discusses various underlying mechanisms that might account for this difference.