Articles in 2018

Progressive hyperpolarization of ventricular zone progenitors regulates their sequential differentiation and migration in mouse primary sensory cortex.

The planning and execution of goal-directed actions require numerous decisions to be made, from action selection to the continuous refinement of movement plans. Here, Gallivan et al. discuss these sensorimotor decision-making processes and their interactions with mechanisms of action planning and control.

A study shows that, in a mouse model of neuronopathic Gaucher disease, delivery of a gene therapy into the brains of fetal animals prevents neurodegeneration, ameliorates associated neuroinflammation and promotes survival.

Synapse formation and function at hippocampal CA1 synapses are shown to be regulated by three classes of leucine-rich repeat-containing adhesion molecules, which act in a modular manner to regulate spine density and synapse function.

Restoring function of the K⁺/Cl^– co-transporter KCC2 in spinal inhibitory interneurons spared after spinal cord injury helps the recovery of hindlimb function in mice.

Advanced techniques for the imaging and manipulation of neural circuits are increasingly being used to advance our understanding of psychiatric disorders. Ressler and colleagues describe our current understanding of the circuit dysfunction that underlies the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

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.

The brains of individuals who have been addicted to opiate drugs show an increase in the number of hypocretin-expressing neurons — the same neurons that are lost in individuals with narcolepsy.

In mice, ‘lost’ infant memories can be recovered through the optogenetic reactivation of silent engrams in the hippocampus.

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.

A discrete subpopulation of CA1 pyramidal cells is identified, which are distinct from place cells, that encode the location of a reward.

A study in flies shows that projections from some groups of glomerular neurons converge on certain types of lateral horn neurons to process combinations of odours that are salient for certain behaviours.

In recent years, several studies have reported the production of microglia-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. Pocock and Piers describe the methods used to produce and analyse these cells and their potential to improve our understanding of microglial function.

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.

A set of 80 (mostly synaptic) proteins show hyperphosphorylation in sleep-deprived mice and genetically ‘sleepy’ mice, suggesting that increased phosphorylation of such proteins may be associated with sleep need.

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.

Insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which the APOE4 variant increases risk for Alzheimer disease are gained by comparing transcriptomes of neurons, astrocytes and microglia derived from isogenic APOE3- and APOE4-carrying iPSC cell lines.

In genetic fly models of Parkinson disease, disrupted lipid trafficking in neuropeptidergic neurons leads to circadian disruption.

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.