Behavioural phenotyping assays for mouse models of autism

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 490 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2851

Authors: Jill L. Silverman, Mu Yang, Catherine Lord & Jacqueline N. Crawley

Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown aetiology that affects 1 in 100–150 individuals. Diagnosis is based on three categories of behavioural criteria: abnormal social interactions, communication deficits and repetitive behaviours. Strong evidence for a genetic basis has prompted the development of mouse models

The habenula: from stress evasion to value-based decision-making

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 503 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2866

Author: Okihide Hikosaka

Surviving in a world with hidden rewards and dangers requires choosing the appropriate behaviours. Recent discoveries indicate that the habenula plays a prominent part in such behavioural choice through its effects on neuromodulator systems, in particular the dopamine and serotonin systems. By inhibiting dopamine-releasing neurons,

Sensory systems: The tune of sensory inputs

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 453 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2872

Author: Katie Kingwell

Sensory afferent signals in visual cortical neurons are highly tuned to stimulus characteristics at the level of local Ca2+ transients throughout the dendritic tree.

Neurotransmission: Putting the synapse in shape

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 454 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2871

Author: Cristian Bodo

The size of the active zone determines the probability of synaptic release and can undergo rapid structural alterations.

Development: Schwann cells roll the dice

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 456 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2873

Author: Claudia Wiedemann

Dicer plays a key part in Schwann cell maturation and axon myelination.

Learning and memory: Ageing without forgetting

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 456 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2869

Author: Leonie Welberg

The level of CREB expression and activity predicts whether long-term memory will decline or improve with age after life-extending strategies.

Neuronal arithmetic

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 474 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2864

Author: R. Angus Silver

The vast computational power of the brain has traditionally been viewed as arising from the complex connectivity of neural networks, in which an individual neuron acts as a simple linear summation and thresholding device. However, recent studies show that individual neurons utilize a wealth of

A model for memory systems based on processing modes rather than consciousness

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 523 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2850

Author: Katharina Henke

Prominent models of human long-term memory distinguish between memory systems on the basis of whether learning and retrieval occur consciously or unconsciously. Episodic memory formation requires the rapid encoding of associations between different aspects of an event which, according to these models, depends on the

From the editors

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 371 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2865

Articles in this issue range from the epigenetic control of neuronal precursor fate, the molecular basis of nicotine addiction and the role of the somatosensory system in social perception, to the use of yeast in studying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.Epigenetic control of developmental genes

Neuronal activation: The symphony of transcription

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 372 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2860

Author: Claudia Wiedemann

Neuronal activity triggers the activation of thousands of enhancers and the synthesis of enhancer RNA.

Sensory systems: Olfaction goes digital

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 373 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2859

Author: Cristian Bodo

The activation patterns of mitral cells may provide an early processing step in olfactory perception.

Neurogenesis: Is it mine?

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 373 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2861

Author: Claudia Wiedemann

The enhanced neurogenesis that is triggered by the interaction of males with their offspring postpartum is important for father–offspring recognition.

Mirror neurons: Mirrors, mirrors, everywhere?

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 374 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2858

Author: Leonie Welberg

Neuronal recordings in humans show mirror-like activity in the medial frontal and medial temporal cortices.

In brief

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 375 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2863

Psychiatric disordersReversal of hippocampal neuronal maturation by serotonergic antidepressantsKobayashi, K.et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA107, 8434–8439 (2010)The cellular mechanisms underlying the behavioural effects of serotonergic antidepressants are largely unknown. Here, the

In brief

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 376 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2862

EndocannabinoidsEndogenous cannabinoid signaling is essential for stress adaptationHill, M. N.et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA3 May 2010 (doi: 10.1073/pnas.0914661107)Repeated stress exposure causes basal and stress-induced corticosterone release to be increased and decreased, respectively. The authors

Epigenetic control of neural precursor cell fate during development

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 377 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2810

Authors: Yusuke Hirabayashi & Yukiko Gotoh

The temporally and spatially restricted nature of the differentiation capacity of cells in the neural lineage has been studied extensively in recent years. Epigenetic control of developmental genes, which is heritable through cell divisions, has emerged as a key mechanism defining the differentiation potential of

Nicotine addiction and nicotinic receptors: lessons from genetically modified mice

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 389 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2849

Author: Jean-Pierre Changeux

The past decades have seen a revolution in our understanding of brain diseases and in particular of drug addiction. This has been largely due to the identification of neurotransmitter receptors and the development of animal models, which together have enabled the investigation of brain functions

22q11.2 microdeletions: linking DNA structural variation to brain dysfunction and schizophrenia

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 402 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2841

Authors: Maria Karayiorgou, Tony J. Simon & Joseph A. Gogos

Recent studies are beginning to paint a clear and consistent picture of the impairments in psychological and cognitive competencies that are associated with microdeletions in chromosome 22q11.2. These studies have highlighted a strong link between this genetic lesion and schizophrenia. Parallel studies in humans and

A second-person approach to other minds

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 449 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2805-c1

Author: Leonhard Schilbach

In a recent Review (The functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror circuit: interpretations and misinterpretations. Nature Rev. Neurosci.11, 264–274 (2010)), Rizzolatti and Sinigaglia examine the role of the parieto-frontal cortex in action observation and action execution

Mirroring and making sense of others

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 449 (2010). doi:10.1038/nrn2805-c2

Author: Corrado Sinigaglia

In a recent Review (The functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror circuit: interpretations and misinterpretations. Nature Rev. Neurosci.11, 264–274 (2010)), Giacomo Rizzolatti and I were aiming to highlight the functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror network