Reviews & Analysis

SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with various neurological effects both during and after infection. In this Review, Meinhardt and colleagues discuss the possible impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on different cell populations of the nervous system and the neurological alterations that result, thus facilitating the development of treatment options.

A prevailing notion in sleep research is that sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythmicity involve independent processes. In this Review, Franken and Dijk discuss evidence that suggests that sleep and circadian rhythmicity are interdependent and together support the homeostasis of brain function.

Neurobiological organizational principles suggest that a generative grammar exists in the brain. In this Perspective, Dragoi proposes how neural grammar enables specific experience-independent, internally generated patterns of activity acquired via spontaneous generative combination of pre-existing sequential motifs to support internally generated representations of experience in the hippocampus.

Human cortical neurons undergo a protracted period of postmitotic maturation compared with those of other species. Wallace and Pollen review the cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic mechanisms that govern neuronal postmitotic development and consider the factors that may contribute to species-specific maturation rates.

Architectures in neural networks commonly assume that inference is hierarchical. In this Perspective, Suzuki et al. present the shallow brain hypothesis, a neural processing mechanism based on neuroanatomical and electrophysiological evidence that intertwines hierarchical cortical processing with a massively parallel process to which subcortical areas substantially contribute.

The neuropeptide oxytocin has a vital role in many mammalian social behaviours. Here, Menon and Neumann provide a comprehensive review of the rodent neuronal circuits in which oxytocin acts to regulate the processing of social cues in order to reinforce reproductive and non-reproductive social behaviours.

Neuron–oligodendroglial interactions modulate neural circuit structure and function in the healthy brain. In this Review, Taylor and Monje describe the accumulating evidence for how glial malignancies subvert and repurpose these powerful neuron–glial interactions to drive glioma pathophysiology.

High-resolution maps of biological annotations in the brain are increasingly generated and shared. In this Review, Bazinet and colleagues discuss how brain connectomes can be enriched with biological annotations to address new questions about brain network organization.

The prospects for applying dynamical systems theory in neuroscience are changing dramatically. In this Perspective, Durstewitz et al. discuss dynamical system reconstruction using recurrent neural networks to directly infer a formal surrogate from an experimentally probed system and consider its potential for revolutionizing neuroscience.

Song and speech may have distinct roles in human communication. Scott and colleagues describe the mechanisms underlying the production and perception of song and speech, evaluate the evidence for distinct song-processing mechanisms in the human brain, and consider the implications of such specialization.

Synaptic or neuronal activity can trigger transcriptional changes in the nucleus that are important for learning and memory. Tsien, Ma and co-workers here provide a comprehensive review of the complex signalling pathways involved in this excitation–transcription coupling.

Research has often considered defensive behaviour as entirely mediated by the brain processing threat-related information. In this Review, Tseng et al. elucidate the interconnected network between the brain and body that facilitates defensive responses to threats varying in imminence.

Stress modulates immune system function and systemic inflammation is linked to stress-related disorders, including depression. Russo and colleagues outline the neural circuits through which the CNS regulates immune cell function in peripheral tissues in response to stress and consider how these responses contribute to stress-related pathophysiology.

Membrane excitability is central to neuronal function, and neurons must be resilient to changes in its underlying parameters. In this Perspective article, Marom and Marder suggest that two complementary mechanisms contribute to the resilience of membrane excitability: rapid ‘kinetic-based’ regulation of ion channel proteins and slower homeostatic control of ion channel membrane densities.

Neurodegenerative diseases show idiosyncratic spatial patterns of progressive protein malformations in the brain. In this Perspective, Vogel et al. discuss the role of inter-regional connectivity in constraining and modulating the spread of pathological proteins and provide a framework for patient-tailored prognostics.

Motherhood in humans is associated with numerous neurobiological adaptations. In this Review, Servin-Barthet et al. focus on the interplay among pregnancy-related hormones, brain plasticity and maternal behaviour and aim to provide a roadmap for future investigations.

Ciliated neurons sited at the interface between the CNS and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are present in many species; however, it is only in recent years that these ‘CSF-contacting neurons’ have been investigated in detail. Wyart et al. here discuss the features of these neurons and our current understanding of their varied contributions to CNS function.

Through the study of animal models, translational research aims to uncover mechanisms that may underlie phenomena observed in humans. In this Review, Brynildsen et al. explore the contributions of network science approaches to cross-species translational research in neuroscience.

In addition to its well known role in fast inhibitory synaptic transmission, GABA mediates the tonic inhibition of neuronal activity over slower timescales. Lee, Cheong and colleagues provide an overview of the mechanisms that regulate GABA tone in the brain and the contribution of tonic GABA currents to cognitive function.

Developments in connectomics and network neuroscience over the past 20 years have led to new ways of investigating communication in complex brain networks. In this Review, Seguin, Sporns and Zalesky discuss the current landscape of models of brain network communication.