Review Articles in 2006

The recent convergence of neuroscience and social psychology has shed fresh light on the neural mechanisms underlying social interaction. Amodio and Frith review anatomical and functional characteristics of the medial frontal cortex, highlighting its central role in social cognitive processing.

Molecular changes that occur during ageing are also seen in neurodegenerative diseases. Mattson and Magnus review the mechanisms by which age-related changes contribute to neuronal vulnerability in these diseases and ways in which adaptive responses might facilitate healthy neural ageing.

Youdim and colleagues describe how the recent solving of the crystal structures of monoamine oxidase enzymes has increased our understanding of the action of their inhibitors, some of which are now showing therapeutic value in the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions.

The relatively simple architecture of the hippocampus makes it an ideal model to study cortical lamination. Försteret al. review recent work on the molecular mechanisms that guide the formation of cell and fibre layers in the hippocampus.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has long been implicated in Parkinson's disease. Wood and colleagues review recent evidence on the roles of the genes associated with the disease in mitochondrial pathways, highlighting the involvement of oxidative stress in the aetiology of the disorder.

Lledo and colleagues provide an up-to-date review of recent developments in our understanding of neurogenesis in the adult brain, with a comparative view of the generation of new neurons in the olfactory bulb and the dentate gyrus.

Komatsu provides several striking examples of filling-in — in which a region of the visual field is filled in with the visual attributes of its surround — before considering possible neural mechanisms underlying this remarkable perceptual phenomenon.

Astrocytes are not mere 'brain glue', but direct, active communication partners of neurons. Seifert and colleagues discuss their roles in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders, and argue that these cells might present a therapeutic target in treating these diseases.

Lupo and colleagues review the crucial molecular pathways that regulate ventral patterning of the telencephalon, eye and spinal cord, and show that ventral patterning can be explained by a few basic molecular mechanisms that are conserved along the anterioposterior axis.

Ludwig and Leng review evidence that dendrites are a major source of peptides released in the brain, and that dendritically released peptides can act at distant targets to functionally reorganize neuronal networks, providing a substrate for long-lasting behaviours.

Notch signalling has a key role in many aspects of vertebrate nervous system development. Louvi and Artavanis-Tsakonas review the pleiotropic activity of Notch signalling and discuss challenges in defining the complex genetic circuitry into which Notch is integrated.

Calcium signals have profound and varied effects on growth cone motility and growth. Gomez and Zheng review recent evidence on intracellular calcium signalling pathways, providing fresh insight into how this 'simple' ion can have diverse effects on growth cone behaviours.

All antidepressants in use today act via the monoamine neurotransmitters. However, only ∼50% of individuals with depression show full remission. Berton and Nestler review recent development of alternative, non-monoamine-based antidepressants, highlighting the obstacles and some of the most promising strategies.

Abbott, Rönnbäck and Hansson describe interactions between brain endothelial cells, astrocytes and neurons that regulate blood–brain barrier function, and consider how disturbances of these interactions could be minimized or prevented in various pathological conditions.

The developmental origin of oligodendrocytes has been a contentious issue for years. Richardson and colleagues review the complexity of the debate, and show that oligodendrocyte development results from competition among precursors from dorsal and ventral parts of the ventricular zone.

Cochlear hair cells detect sound vibrations and generate force to enhance auditory sensitivity and frequency selectivity. Fettiplace and Hackney describe proteins involved in the sensory and motor functions of outer hair cells, presenting evidence for two types of force production.

A decline in learning, memory and executive functions frequently occurs with advanced age. Barnes and Burke evaluate recent progress in our understanding of subtle changes affecting plasticity in medial temporal and prefrontal regions that contribute to age-related cognitive decline.

LaBar and Cabeza review the powerful effects of emotion on memory. These influences are mediated by the amygdala and its interactions with medial temporal and prefrontal regions, and affect memory from the encoding and consolidation stages through to long-term retrieval.

Nanotechnology holds great promises in all scientific disciplines. Silva discusses the basic concepts of nanotechnology, its current applications in basic and clinical neuroscience, and the conceptual and technical challenges it faces in tackling the complexities of the nervous system.