Volume 12 Issue 10, October 2011

Molecular changes in blood that occur with ageing may be partly responsible for the decreased neurogenesis and cognitive deficits that are observed in aged mice.

The synaptic vesicle protein RAB3B seems to have a key role in endocannabinoid-dependent presynaptic long-term depression at hippocampal inhibitory synapses and also in spatial memory retention.

The effects of prenatal stress on sex differences in brain gene expression and behaviour can be transmitted down the paternal lineage to male offspring.

Chronic ingestion of probiotic ('good') bacteria can reduce anxiety, an effect that seems likely to be mediated via the vagus nerve.

A new study shows that in its native state, α-synuclein predominantly exists as an α-helical tetramer rather than an unfolded monomer.

The retrograde transport of signalling endosomes requires the activation of RAC1and cofilin to induce actin depolymerization.

Grid cells and place cells encode little information about vertical position in three-dimensional space.

Neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) show circadian patterns, not only in gene transcription and protein translation but also in neural activity. Christopher Colwell describes the mechanisms that drive the rhythmic firing patterns of SCN neurons, including the contribution of ion channels, and discusses the mutual regulation of neural activity and the molecular clock.

Migraine is a complex and disabling brain disorder that is currently difficult to prevent or treat. Goadsby and colleagues review the evidence that regions of the brainstem and forebrain are involved in modulating migraine pain and that dysfunction in these areas may contribute to the pathophysiology of the disorder.

The hippocampal formation has been implicated in many disorders — including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and depression — and in cognitive ageing, but how can one area be central to such diverse conditions? Small and colleagues review a large literature of neuroimaging findings and propose a framework of hippocampal dysfunction in which these conditions differentially target distinct subregions of the hippocampal circuit and are associated with either hippocampal hypermetabolism or hypometabolism.

Biomarkers for autism may reveal causes of the condition and could be used to improve diagnosis and enable earlier detection of autism spectrum disorders. Walsh and colleagues discuss the major scientific challenges in the search for autism biomarkers and consider a number of important social and ethical concerns arising from biomarker development and application.