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How does motor-cortex activity well before movement not drive motor outputs? In this Review, Churchland and Shenoy detail how searching for answers transitioned the understanding of neural activity during movement from single-neuron tuning towards population-level factors and revealed an essential computational role of output-null factors.
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.
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.
‘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.
SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with various neurological effects both during and after infection. In this Review, Meinhardt and colleagues discuss the possible impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on different cell populations of the nervous system and the neurological alterations that result, thus facilitating the development of treatment options.
A prevailing notion in sleep research is that sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythmicity involve independent processes. In this Review, Franken and Dijk discuss evidence that suggests that sleep and circadian rhythmicity are interdependent and together support the homeostasis of brain function.
Human cortical neurons undergo a protracted period of postmitotic maturation compared with those of other species. Wallace and Pollen review the cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic mechanisms that govern neuronal postmitotic development and consider the factors that may contribute to species-specific maturation rates.
The neuropeptide oxytocin has a vital role in many mammalian social behaviours. Here, Menon and Neumann provide a comprehensive review of the rodent neuronal circuits in which oxytocin acts to regulate the processing of social cues in order to reinforce reproductive and non-reproductive social behaviours.
Neuron–oligodendroglial interactions modulate neural circuit structure and function in the healthy brain. In this Review, Taylor and Monje describe the accumulating evidence for how glial malignancies subvert and repurpose these powerful neuron–glial interactions to drive glioma pathophysiology.
High-resolution maps of biological annotations in the brain are increasingly generated and shared. In this Review, Bazinet and colleagues discuss how brain connectomes can be enriched with biological annotations to address new questions about brain network organization.
Synaptic or neuronal activity can trigger transcriptional changes in the nucleus that are important for learning and memory. Tsien, Ma and co-workers here provide a comprehensive review of the complex signalling pathways involved in this excitation–transcription coupling.
Research has often considered defensive behaviour as entirely mediated by the brain processing threat-related information. In this Review, Tseng et al. elucidate the interconnected network between the brain and body that facilitates defensive responses to threats varying in imminence.
Stress modulates immune system function and systemic inflammation is linked to stress-related disorders, including depression. Russo and colleagues outline the neural circuits through which the CNS regulates immune cell function in peripheral tissues in response to stress and consider how these responses contribute to stress-related pathophysiology.
Motherhood in humans is associated with numerous neurobiological adaptations. In this Review, Servin-Barthet et al. focus on the interplay among pregnancy-related hormones, brain plasticity and maternal behaviour and aim to provide a roadmap for future investigations.
Ciliated neurons sited at the interface between the CNS and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are present in many species; however, it is only in recent years that these ‘CSF-contacting neurons’ have been investigated in detail. Wyart et al. here discuss the features of these neurons and our current understanding of their varied contributions to CNS function.
Through the study of animal models, translational research aims to uncover mechanisms that may underlie phenomena observed in humans. In this Review, Brynildsen et al. explore the contributions of network science approaches to cross-species translational research in neuroscience.