Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Neuregulin 1 in neural development, synaptic plasticity and schizophrenia.

Publication Date: 2008 May 14 PMID: 18478032
Authors: Mei, L. - Xiong, W. C.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

Schizophrenia is a highly debilitating mental disorder that affects approximately 1% of the general population, yet it continues to be poorly understood. Recent studies have identified variations in several genes that are associated with this disorder in diverse populations, including those that encode neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and its receptor ErbB4. The past few years have witnessed exciting progress in our knowledge of NRG1 and ErbB4 functions and the biological basis of the increased risk for schizophrenia that is potentially conferred by polymorphisms in the two genes. An improved understanding of the mechanisms by which altered function of NRG1 and ErbB4 contributes to schizophrenia might eventually lead to the development of more effective therapeutics.

post to: CiteULike

The neural systems that mediate human perceptual decision making.

Publication Date: 2008 May 9 PMID: 18464792
Authors: Heekeren, H. R. - Marrett, S. - Ungerleider, L. G.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

Perceptual decision making is the act of choosing one option or course of action from a set of alternatives on the basis of available sensory evidence. Thus, when we make such decisions, sensory information must be interpreted and translated into behaviour. Neurophysiological work in monkeys performing sensory discriminations, combined with computational modelling, has paved the way for neuroimaging studies that are aimed at understanding decision-related processes in the human brain. Here we review findings from human neuroimaging studies in conjunction with data analysis methods that can directly link decisions and signals in the human brain on a trial-by-trial basis. This leads to a new view about the neural basis of human perceptual decision-making processes.

post to: CiteULike

Presynaptic glutamate receptors: physiological functions and mechanisms of action.

Publication Date: 2008 May 9 PMID: 18464791
Authors: Pinheiro, P. S. - Mulle, C.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

Glutamate acts on postsynaptic glutamate receptors to mediate excitatory communication between neurons. The discovery that additional presynaptic glutamate receptors can modulate neurotransmitter release has added complexity to the way we view glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Here we review evidence of a physiological role for presynaptic glutamate receptors in neurotransmitter release. We compare the physiological roles of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors in short- and long-term regulation of synaptic transmission. Furthermore, we discuss the physiological conditions that are necessary for their activation, the source of the glutamate that activates them, their mechanisms of action and their involvement in higher brain function.

post to: CiteULike

A technicolour approach to the connectome.

Publication Date: 2008 Apr 30 PMID: 18446160
Authors: Lichtman, J. W. - Livet, J. - Sanes, J. R.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

A central aim of neuroscience is to map neural circuits, in order to learn how they account for mental activities and behaviours and how alterations in them lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the methods that are currently available for visualizing circuits have severe limitations that make it extremely difficult to extract precise wiring diagrams from histological images. Here we review recent advances in this area, along with some of the opportunities that these advances present and the obstacles that remain.

post to: CiteULike

Choices in neuroscience careers.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18425092
Authors: Bartfai, T. - Insel, T. - Fishell, G. - Rothwell, N.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

How do I choose a mentor? How do I decide what field of neuroscience to work in? Should I consider doing research in industry? Most students and postdoctoral researchers aiming for a successful career in neuroscience ask themselves these questions. In this article, Nature Reviews Neuroscience asks four successful neuroscientists for their thoughts on the factors one should consider when making these decisions. We hope that this Viewpoint will serve as a useful resource for junior neuroscientists who have to make important and sometimes difficult decisions that might have long-lasting consequences for their careers.

post to: CiteULike

General anaesthesia: from molecular targets to neuronal pathways of sleep and arousal.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18425091
Authors: Franks, N. P.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

The mechanisms through which general anaesthetics, an extremely diverse group of drugs, cause reversible loss of consciousness have been a long-standing mystery. Gradually, a relatively small number of important molecular targets have emerged, and how these drugs act at the molecular level is becoming clearer. Finding the link between these molecular studies and anaesthetic-induced loss of consciousness presents an enormous challenge, but comparisons with the features of natural sleep are helping us to understand how these drugs work and the neuronal pathways that they affect. Recent work suggests that the thalamus and the neuronal networks that regulate its activity are the key to understanding how anaesthetics cause loss of consciousness.

post to: CiteULike

Plasticity of intrinsic neuronal properties in CNS disorders.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18425090
Authors: Beck, H. - Yaari, Y.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

The input-output relationship of neuronal networks depends both on their synaptic connectivity and on the intrinsic properties of their neuronal elements. In addition to altered synaptic properties, profound changes in intrinsic neuronal properties are observed in many CNS disorders. These changes reflect alterations in the functional properties of dendritic and somatic voltage- and Ca2+-gated ion channels. The molecular mechanisms underlying this intrinsic plasticity comprise the highly specific transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation of ion-channel expression, trafficking and function. The studies reviewed here show that intrinsic plasticity, in conjunction with synaptic plasticity, can fundamentally alter the input-output properties of neuronal networks in CNS disorders.

post to: CiteULike

Actin in action: the interplay between the actin cytoskeleton and synaptic efficacy.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18425089
Authors: Cingolani, L. A. - Goda, Y.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

Synapse regulation exploits the capacity of actin to function as a stable structural component or as a dynamic filament. Beyond its well-appreciated role in eliciting visible morphological changes at the synapse, the emerging picture points to an active contribution of actin to the modulation of the efficacy of pre- and postsynaptic terminals. Moreover, by engaging distinct pools of actin and divergent signalling pathways, actin-dependent morphological plasticity could be uncoupled from modulation of synaptic strength. The aim of this Review is to highlight some of the recent progress in elucidating the role of the actin cytoskeleton in synaptic function.

post to: CiteULike

Metaplasticity: tuning synapses and networks for plasticity.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18401345
Authors: Abraham, W. C.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

Synaptic plasticity is a key component of the learning machinery in the brain. It is vital that such plasticity be tightly regulated so that it occurs to the proper extent at the proper time. Activity-dependent mechanisms that have been collectively termed metaplasticity have evolved to help implement these essential computational constraints. Various intercellular signalling molecules can trigger lasting changes in the ability of synapses to express plasticity; their mechanisms of action are reviewed here, along with a consideration of how metaplasticity might affect learning and clinical conditions.

post to: CiteULike

Hippocampal and perirhinal functions in recognition memory.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18382467
Authors: Brown, M. W.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

post to: CiteULike

Review authors' response.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18382466
Authors: Squire, L. R. - Wixted, J. T. - Clark, R. E.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

post to: CiteULike

GABA(A) receptor trafficking and its role in the dynamic modulation of neuronal inhibition.

Publication Date: 2008 May PMID: 18382465
Authors: Jacob, T. C. - Moss, S. J. - Jurd, R.
Journal: Nat Rev Neurosci

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) type A receptors (GABA(A)Rs) mediate most fast synaptic inhibition in the mammalian brain, controlling activity at both the network and the cellular levels. The diverse functions of GABA in the CNS are matched not just by the heterogeneity of GABA(A)Rs, but also by the complex trafficking mechanisms and protein-protein interactions that generate and maintain an appropriate receptor cell-surface localization. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in our understanding of the dynamic regulation of GABA(A)R composition, trafficking to and from the neuronal surface, and lateral movement of receptors between synaptic and extrasynaptic locations. Finally, we highlight a number of neurological disorders, including epilepsy and schizophrenia, in which alterations in GABA(A)R trafficking occur.

post to: CiteULike