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In neurofeedback, an individual receives online feedback of their neural activity to facilitate self-regulation of a brain region and, as a result, a particular behaviour or pathology. In this Review, the authors examine how this technique has been used and its underlying mechanisms.
The mechanisms that underlie the transition of acute pain to a chronic intractable disorder are not well understood. In this Review, Kuner and Flor discuss how structural plasticity and reorganisation in somatosensory and emotional networks can contribute to chronic pain, integrating information available from animal models and human patients.
Emerging evidence suggests that astrocytes may be as diverse in their physiological and functional characteristics as neurons. Ben Haim and Rowitch describe astrocyte heterogeneity, consider the mechanisms by which such diversity may arise and discuss the consequences of its disruption in disease.
Our ability to use conceptual knowledge to support various behaviours is termed semantic cognition. In this Review, Lambon Ralphet al. argue that this ability arises from two interacting neural systems, one for representation and one for control.
Glucocorticoids, which are released in response to stress, modulate the consolidation, retrieval and extinction of memories. In this Review, de Quervainet al. suggest that, in fear-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, targeting glucocorticoid signalling to attenuate fear memories has therapeutic potential.
The cognitive abnormalities observed in Alzheimer disease (AD) may be linked to alterations in oscillatory rhythmic activity and neuronal network hypersynchrony. Palop and Mucke review these links and explore how countering these network abnormalities and interneuron dysfunction may hold therapeutic potential for AD.
Viral entry into the CNS and infection of neural cells pose a specific challenge for the immune system: how to eradicate the invading pathogen without disrupting neuronal circuits. Rall and colleagues outline the host immune response to CNS viral infection and consider the possible consequences of non-lytic viral clearance in the brain.
The properties and location of synaptic integrins put them in an ideal position to transduce signals from the extracellular matrix to intracellular signalling pathways. Park and Goda, here, describe the mechanisms underlying integrin-mediated synapse regulation and its contributions to development, plasticity and disease.
Mirror neurons transform sensory representations of others' behaviour into the observers' motor or visceromotor representations of that behaviour. In this Review, Giacomo Rizzolatti and Corrado Sinigaglia describe how the mirror mechanism is also likely to be involved in both action and emotion processing.
Small populations of interneurons in mice and inDrosophila melanogasterhave been shown to control both mating and aggression. Here, David Anderson proposes that these neuron populations may represent a conserved or analogous circuit node that controls reproductive behaviours in animals by promoting internal motivational, arousal or drive states.
Some epidemiological studies suggest associations between general anaesthesia and long-term cognitive dysfunction in children and the elderly, although these remain to be proven. Here, Vutskits and Xie review the evidence for general anaesthetic-induced cognitive impairment in young and old rodents and non-human primates, and the potential underlying mechanisms.
Promoter–enhancer loopings and other features of the 3D genome are dynamically regulated in the brain. In this Review, Akbarian and colleagues discuss how neuronal and glial gene expression is governed by the 3D genome, with implications for cognition and neuropsychiatric disease.
Mind-wandering is often defined as task-unrelated or stimulus-unrelated thought. In this Review, Christoff and colleagues present a definition for mind-wandering that places more emphasis on the dynamic nature of this process. They also examine the brain networks underlying mind-wandering and its involvement in various brain disorders.
Adverse childhood experiences have a wide range of effects on the structure, function and connectivity of the developing brain. Teicheret al. suggest that such changes might reflect adaptive modifications that, in some susceptible individuals, could contribute to psychopathology.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and urocortins have traditionally been proposed to promote stress and stress recovery, respectively. However, recent findings suggest that this view is overly simplistic. Chen and colleagues review evidence showing that CRF-receptor signalling is region- and cell type-specific and influenced by the individual's experience.
NMDA receptors that contain GluN3 subunits have several non-conventional properties that set them apart from 'classical' NMDA receptors. Pérez-Otaño and colleagues describe the important roles of these receptors in CNS development and their potential involvement in CNS disease.
Axons and dendrites contain distinct complements of membrane proteins, consistent with their different roles in electrochemical signalling. In this Review, Bentley and Banker discuss the intracellular machinery that ensures that axonal and dendritic proteins are accurately targeted to the correct domains.
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) have diverse functional roles in the nervous system. In this Review, the authors discuss the roles of these proteins in neural development, including cortical patterning, dendrite and synapse formation, and myelination.
Mossy cells are a major subpopulation of glutamatergic principal neurons within the dentate gyrus; however, their roles in hippocampal circuitry are poorly understood. Scharfman describes how new techniques to probe mossy cell function are shedding light on their contribution to hippocampal function and behaviour.
The development of alcohol use disorder involves a transition from the moderate use to the excessive, uncontrolled consumption of alcohol. Focusing on findings in rodents, Ron and Barak review the intracellular signalling cascades that underlie this transition and the molecular mechanisms that act against it.