Review Articles in 2017

The brain comprises complex structural and functional networks, but much remains to be determined regarding how these networks support the communication processes that underlie neuronal computation. In this Review, Avena-Koenigsberger, Misic and Sporns discuss the network basis of communication dynamics in the brain.

The brain uses predictable temporal structure to anticipate and select relevant events in time. Nobre and van Ede introduce different types of this 'temporal expectation' and its neural underpinnings, and describe how temporal expectation interacts with other forms of expectation in guiding adaptive behaviour.

The dopamine motive system, which integrates reinforcement and motivation, is influenced by obesogenic foods and addictive drugs. In this Review, Volkow and colleagues highlight how these stimuli sensitize the subject's motivation towards them while desensitizing the subject's motivation towards alternative reinforcers.

Promoting remyelination may be an effective therapeutic strategy for various disorders that are characterized by a loss of myelin, including multiple sclerosis. In this Review, Franklin and ffrench-Constant discuss recent developments in our understanding of remyelination and the efforts that are underway to enhance this process.

An axon's function is dictated by its morphology and, thus, by the properties and organization of the axonal cytoskeleton. Leterrieret al. describe how advances in super-resolution and live-cell imaging are transforming our understanding of the molecular architecture of the axonal shaft.

A causal explanation for the pathogenesis of schizophrenia is lacking. In this Review, Birnbaum and Weinberger explore recent genetic studies of schizophrenia and discuss how genetic and epigenetic risk of the disorder may converge to perturb key neurodevelopmental trajectories.

Individuals with autism show differences in both social cognition and basic sensory processing. In this Review, Robertson and Baron-Cohen discuss human and animal studies of sensory processing in autism and present possible explanations of how they relate to changes in neural processing and cognition.

Only primates possess 'cytoarchitectonic area 10' in anterior prefrontal cortex, and its function is unknown. In this Review, Mansouri and colleagues argue that area 10 monitors the relative importance of current and alternative goals.

During late-stage development, supernumerary synapses are eliminated in a process known as synaptic pruning. Here, Neniskyte and Gross give an overview of synaptic pruning in various parts of the nervous system and describe how differences in synaptic pruning may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Neuroscience is going nanoscopic, but can it still rely on classical electrophysiology? In this Review, Savtchenko, Poo and Rusakov argue that accurate interpretation of physiological observations on the nanoscale must account for electrodiffusion phenomena arising from local perturbations of ionic concentrations.

By capturing and manipulating the self-organizing capacity of pluripotent stem cells, researchers have established protocols for the production ofin vitrobrain-like 'organoids'. Di Lullo and Kriegstein evaluate approaches to organoid generation and consider their potential as models of brain development and disease.

Neuronal trafficking has to meet the requirements of various intracellular compartments. In this Review, Nirschl, Ghiretti and Holzbaur examine how the transport machinery, including the cytoskeleton and molecular motors, is locally regulated to allow neuronal compartment-specific transport.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of various neurodegenerative diseases. In this Review, Salta and De Strooper discuss the mechanisms by which ncRNAs may be linked to neurodegeneration and touch on the use of ncRNA-based biomarkers and therapies for these conditions.

Several of the spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) result from expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ)-encoding regions in different genes. Here, Orr and colleagues examine the clinical features of the the polyQ SCAs, and suggest that understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying polyQ SCAs can inform therapeutic strategies for these and other polyQ disorders.

Attempts to group the cells of the nervous system into classes or types face technical and conceptual barriers. Zeng and Sanes consider the current approaches to classification and propose a strategy and set of principles to guide future classification efforts.

The aggregation of α-synuclein in neurons is characteristic of Parkinson disease. Koprich, Kalia and Brotchie provide a critical overview of preclinical, mammalian models of α-synucleinopathy and their merits and limitations in drug development for Parkinson disease, and suggest a combination of different models for optimal proof-of-principle investigation of novel therapeutics.

Mammals detect the nutrient content, palatability and potential toxicity of food through taste buds that are present mainly in the tongue. In this Review, Roper and Chaudhari discuss the taste bud cells, receptors and transmitters that are involved in taste detection, how these cells communicate with sensory afferent fibres, and peripheral taste coding.

Empathy is a characteristic of all mammals that ranges from being sensitive to another's emotions to adopting their perspective. In this Review, de Waal and Preston discuss current hypotheses concerning how the emotional states of others are understood in a variety of species.

The prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus have distinct and complementary roles in episodic memory, and their interactions are also crucial for memory. Eichenbaum describes the pathways and mechanisms mediating these interactions and suggests a model of how these regions communicate to retrieve cued memories.

Sex differences in behaviour and disease vulnerability are mirrored by the cellular and molecular sexual dimorphism of the brain. McCarthy and colleagues review findings that have highlighted the roles of inflammation and epigenetics in sex-specific brain differentiation and function.