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Vagal afferents projecting from the gut to the brainstem and then relayed on to the midbrain carry reward signals that trigger dopamine release in the dorsal striatum.
In a genetic mouse model related to schizophrenia, restoring the excitability of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in hippocampal CA1 ameliorates network dysfunction and behavioural deficits.
Study shows that population activity in the rat lateral entorhinal cortex can encode the passage of time, which may contribute to temporal aspects of episodic memory.
Hippocampal cannabinoid 1 receptors are shown to be involved in the formation of incidental associations between pairs of low-salience sensory stimuli, which can then become indirectly associated with certain cues and thus influence behaviour.
Recent research advances have yielded fresh insights into the fundamental neural processes underlying pair bonding. In this Review, Walum and Young discuss how neural representations of a partner become inherently rewarding, providing intriguing insights into the neural origins of love.
Traditionally, the CNS is described to have immune privilege, largely because of its immunological barriers. Here, Forrester, McMenamin and Dando describe how this immune privilege may sometimes not be beneficial, as it enables invading pathogens to exist as latent CNS infections.
The brain can be parcellated into areas or networks with different structural or functional properties. Eickhoff, Yeo and Genon describe various imaging-based strategies to parcellate the human brain, including those based on local properties, such as cytoarchitecture, and global properties, such as connectivity.
Various techniques can be used to image aspects of the pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease in humans, notably protein deposition and neurodegeneration. In this Review, William Jagust discusses how human neuroimaging studies have shaped our understanding of this disease.
Age-related changes in cognitive ability are the focus of a growing field of research. Cabeza, Rajah and colleagues aim to promote clarity in the field by agreeing upon consensual definitions for three widely discussed concepts: maintenance, compensation and reserve.
