The ability of mice to encode new memories or retrieve existing ones can be selectively manipulated by using optogenetics to inhibit hippocampal activity at specific phases of the theta cycle.
Addressing the controversy regarding the interpretation of choice probabilities demonstrates that both readout strategy and noise correlations contribute to the link between neural activity and perceptual decisions.
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons and a cortex-like structure called the arcopallium form part of a circuit that enables young songbirds to compare their own song with a template stored in memory, and use any discrepancies to improve their performance.
In nematode worms, the length of the male refractory period–the time between matings–is regulated by multiple transmitters including dopamine, which both promotes ejaculation and reduces the activity of males post-copulation.
Jan Drugowitsch, Gregory C DeAngelis ... Alexandre Pouget
Through a combination of modeling and experiments it is shown that humans can near-optimally accumulate decision-related evidence across time and cues even when reaction time is under their control.
Laura Dean Heckman, Maria H Chahrour, Huda Y Zoghbi
Transgenic mice with Rett-causing mutations in MeCP2 reveal that a basic cluster in the C-terminus of the protein binds DNA and that both the methyl-CpG binding domain and the transcriptional repression domain are necessary to elicit toxicity in MECP2 duplication syndrome.
Animal-to-animal variability in neural circuit elements is often hidden under normal conditions, but becomes functionally relevant when the system is challenged by injury.
A few circadian ‘evening’ neurons within the Drosophila brain play a key role in driving activity as well as keeping time, whereas the well-known PDF-containing morning cells are likely involved in integrating and transmitting light information.
