Latest Articles Include:
- From the editors
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):219 (2010)
In this issue, we publish four articles in fields of neuroscience that have sparked controversy.Whether astrocytes exocytose neurotransmitters and therefore directly influence information processing in neurons has been the subject of heated debate for almost two decades. - Synaptic plasticity: Polymerize and learn?
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):221 (2010)
Activity-dependent changes at the synapse require protein synthesis in order to persist for extended periods and to contribute to the formation of long-term memories. However, the proteins involved in the stabilization of synaptic changes are largely unknown. - Neurogenesis: In the zone
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):222 (2010)
An expansion of cerebral cortex size during human evolution is thought to underlie our unique cognitive abilities; however, little is known about the developmental mechanisms that mediated the dramatic growth of the human cortex. Kriegstein and colleagues have now characterized a population of radial-glia-like cells in the developing human brain that may distinguish cortical growth in primates from that in other species. - In brief: Neural stem cells, Circadian rhythms, Learning and memory, Apoptosis
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):222 (2010)
Communication via gap junctions underlies early functional and beneficial interactions between grafted neural stem cells and the host Jäderstad , J.et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA10 February 2010 (doi: 10.1037/pnas.0915134107) - Addictive drugs: Benzodiazepine's hook
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):223 (2010)
Benzodiazepines exert rapid anxiolytic effects by increasing GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-mediated neurotransmission. However, their use in treating anxiety disorders is limited owing to the loss of control of consumption after prolonged use. - Synaptic plasticity: Pulling power of CAMK2α
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):223 (2010)
Synaptic plasticity relies in part on protein degradation by proteasomes, which move from the dendritic shaft to spines and are activated following synaptic excitation. Sheng and colleagues now shed light on the molecular mechanisms that underlie proteasome redistribution and reveal that Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 2α (CAMK2α) acts as a scaffold for proteasomes at synapses. - Endocannabinoids: Going retro with DAGLα
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):224 (2010)
One of the main endocannabinoids (eCBs) in the CNS is 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), which can be synthesized from diacylglycerol by diacylglycerol lipase-α (DAGLα) and DAGLβ. The extent to which these two enzymes contribute to 2-AG synthesis in the brain was unknown, but two recent papers show that DAGLα is essential for 2-AG synthesis and endocannabinoid signalling in the brain. - Genes and disease: Chromatin on the brain
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):224 (2010)
Several proteins that modulate chromatin structure have been implicated in human developmental disorders, some of which share phenotypic features. Now the finding that three of these disease-associated proteins interact at a subset of imprinted genes suggests overlapping molecular mechanisms in syndromes that affect brain development. - Psychiatric disorders: From the cradle
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):224 (2010)
Normal brain function depends on the appropriate formation of neuronal networks during development. Genetic susceptibility factors to psychiatric disorders have been postulated to act by introducing slight perturbations to this neurodevelopmental programme that may lead to the manifestation of symptoms later in life. - In brief: Neurotransmission, Techniques, Prions, Ion channels
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):225 (2010)
Doc2b is a high-affinity Ca2+ sensor for spontaneous neurotransmitter release Groffen , A. J.et al. Science11 Feb 2010 (doi: 10.1126/science.1183765) - Do astrocytes really exocytose neurotransmitters?
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):227 (2010)
In the past 20 years, an extra layer of information processing, in addition to that provided by neurons, has been proposed for the CNS. Neuronally evoked increases of the intracellular calcium concentration in astrocytes have been suggested to trigger exocytotic release of the 'gliotransmitters' glutamate, ATP and D-serine. These are proposed to modulate neuronal excitability and transmitter release, and to have a role in diseases as diverse as stroke, epilepsy, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and HIV infection. However, there is intense controversy about whether astrocytes can exocytose transmitters in vivo. Resolving this issue would considerably advance our understanding of brain function. - Modelling the molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity using systems biology approaches
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):239 (2010)
Synaptic plasticity is thought to underlie learning and memory, but the complexity of the interactions between the ion channels, enzymes and genes that are involved in synaptic plasticity impedes a deep understanding of this phenomenon. Computer modelling has been used to investigate the information processing that is performed by the signalling pathways involved in synaptic plasticity in principal neurons of the hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum. In the past few years, new software developments that combine computational neuroscience techniques with systems biology techniques have allowed large-scale, kinetic models of the molecular mechanisms underlying long-term potentiation and long-term depression. We highlight important advancements produced by these quantitative modelling efforts and introduce promising approaches that use advancements in live-cell imaging. - Mapping the face in the somatosensory brainstem
Erzurumlu RS Murakami Y Rijli FM - Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):252 (2010)
The facial somatosensory map in the cortex is derived from facial representations that are first established at the brainstem level and then serially 'copied' at each stage of the somatosensory pathway. Recent studies have provided insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of somatotopic maps of the face and whiskers in the trigeminal nuclei of the mouse brainstem. This work has revealed that early molecular regionalization and positional patterning of trigeminal ganglion and brainstem target neurons are established by homeodomain transcription factors, the expression of which is induced and maintained by signals from the brain and face. Such position-dependent information is fundamental in transforming the early spatial layout of sensory receptors into a topographic connectivity map that is conferred to higher brain levels. - The functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror circuit: interpretations and misinterpretations
Rizzolatti G Sinigaglia C - Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):264 (2010)
The parieto-frontal cortical circuit that is active during action observation is the circuit with mirror properties that has been most extensively studied. Yet, there remains controversy on its role in social cognition and its contribution to understanding the actions and intentions of other individuals. Recent studies in monkeys and humans have shed light on what the parieto-frontal cortical circuit encodes and its possible functional relevance for cognition. We conclude that, although there are several mechanisms through which one can understand the behaviour of other individuals, the parieto-frontal mechanism is the only one that allows an individual to understand the action of others 'from the inside' and gives the observer a first-person grasp of the motor goals and intentions of other individuals. - Myelination and the trophic support of long axons
Nave KA - Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):275 (2010)
In addition to their role in providing myelin for rapid impulse propagation, the glia that ensheath long axons are required for the maintenance of normal axon transport and long-term survival. This presumably ancestral function seems to be independent of myelin membrane wrapping. Here, I propose that ensheathing glia provide trophic support to axons that are metabolically isolated, and that myelin itself might cause such isolation. This glial support of axonal integrity may be relevant for a number of neurological and psychiatric diseases. - Neuromarketing: the hope and hype of neuroimaging in business
Ariely D Berns GS - Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11(4):284 (2010)
The application of neuroimaging methods to product marketing — neuromarketing — has recently gained considerable popularity. We propose that there are two main reasons for this trend. First, the possibility that neuroimaging will become cheaper and faster than other marketing methods; and second, the hope that neuroimaging will provide marketers with information that is not obtainable through conventional marketing methods. Although neuroimaging is unlikely to be cheaper than other tools in the near future, there is growing evidence that it may provide hidden information about the consumer experience. The most promising application of neuroimaging methods to marketing may come before a product is even released — when it is just an idea being developed.
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