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The Journal of Pain	NEURON	Nature Reviews...	TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES
The Journal of Pain RSS feed: Current Issue. The Journal of Pain publishes original articles related to all aspects of pain, including clinical and basic research, patient care, education, and health policy. Articles selected for publication in the Journal are most commonly... Click here to view full description The Journal of Pain RSS feed: Current Issue. The Journal of Pain publishes original articles related to all aspects of pain, including clinical and basic research, patient care, education, and health policy. Articles selected for publication in the Journal are most commonly reports of original clinical research or reports of original basic research. In addtion, invited critical reviews, including meta analyses of drugs for pain management, invited commentaries on reviews, and exceptional case studies are published in the Journal . The mission of the Journal is to improve the care of patients in pain by providing a forum for clinical researchers, basic scientists, clinicians, and other health professionals to publish original research. The Journal of Pain has an Impact factor of 4.851 in the 2011 Journal Citation Reports®, published by Thomson Reuters. Click here to reduce description Table of Contents Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am Instructions to Authors Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am Editorial Board Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am Masthead Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am The Economic Cost of Chronic Noncancer Pain in Ireland: Results From the PRIME Study, Part 2 Abstract: To assess the economic cost of chronic pain in Ireland, information was gathered from 140 people with chronic pain. Direct and indirect costs attributable to chronic pain and medical conditions of which chronic pain was a feature were recorded retrospectively for 12 months. Mean cost... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: To assess the economic cost of chronic pain in Ireland, information was gathered from 140 people with chronic pain. Direct and indirect costs attributable to chronic pain and medical conditions of which chronic pain was a feature were recorded retrospectively for 12 months. Mean cost per chronic pain patient was estimated at €5,665 per year across all grades of pain, with mean costs increasing according to the severity of pain. A small proportion of patients account for the bulk of costs—the top 5% most expensive patients accounted for 26.4% of costs, with a mean cost per patient of €29,936, and the 10% most expensive patients were responsible for 42.8% of all costs. Total cost for individuals aged 20 and above was estimated at €5.34 billion per year, or 2.86% of Irish GDP in 2008. Those with clinically elevated depression scores had costs that were twice as high as people who scored below the depression cut-off score. Chronic pain services in Ireland are generally underresourced. Improved coordination and better management of patients via interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program is essential and may offer a means of reducing the sizeable economic burden of chronic pain.Perspective: The cost of chronic pain per patient was €5,665 per year extrapolated to €5.34 billion or 2.86% of GDP per year. Those with clinically significant depression had costs twice as high as those without depression. The significant burden of chronic pain highlights the need for cost effective interventions to reduce long-term disability. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am The Association Between Race and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status in Younger Black and White Adults With Chronic Pain Abstract: Both race and socioeconomic status (SES) contribute to disparities. We assessed the relative roles of neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and race in the chronic pain experience for young adults (<50 years old). Data from a tertiary care pain center was matched to 2000 US Census... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Both race and socioeconomic status (SES) contribute to disparities. We assessed the relative roles of neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and race in the chronic pain experience for young adults (<50 years old). Data from a tertiary care pain center was matched to 2000 US Census data to examine the role of race and nSES on chronic pain and its sequelae in 3,730 adults (9.7% black, 61% female) 18 to 49 years old (37 ± 8 years). Blacks had significantly more pain and disability and lived in lower SES neighborhoods. Living in a lower SES neighborhood was associated with increased sensory, affective, and “other” pain, pain-related disability, and mood disorders. Race was independently associated with affective and “other” pain on the McGill Pain Questionnaire scales, and both disability factors. Racial disparities in sensory pain and mood disorders were mediated by nSES. In every case, race and neighborhood SES played important roles in the outcomes for chronic pain. Age was related to both disability outcomes. Gender was associated with voluntary disability and mood disorders, with men displaying worse outcomes.Perspective: Important racial- and SES-related variability in pain related outcomes in young adults with chronic pain were defined. Black race was associated with neighborhood SES, and black race plays an important role in pain outcomes beyond neighborhood SES. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 16 January 2012, 1:00 am Craving of Prescription Opioids in Patients With Chronic Pain: A Longitudinal Outcomes Trial Abstract: Little is known about whether patients with chronic pain treated with opioids experience craving for their medications, whether contextual cues may influence craving, or if there is a relationship between craving and medication compliance. We hypothesized that craving for prescription... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Little is known about whether patients with chronic pain treated with opioids experience craving for their medications, whether contextual cues may influence craving, or if there is a relationship between craving and medication compliance. We hypothesized that craving for prescription opioids would be significantly correlated with the urge for more medication, preoccupation with the next dose, and current mood symptoms. We studied craving in 62 patients with chronic pain who were at low or high risk for opioid misuse, while they were enrolled in an RCT to improve prescription opioid medication compliance. Using electronic diaries, patients completed ratings of craving at monthly clinic visits and daily during a 14-day take-home period. Both groups consistently endorsed craving, whose levels were highly correlated (P < .001) with urge, preoccupation, and mood. The intervention to improve opioid compliance in the high-risk group was significantly associated with a rate of decrease in craving over time in comparison to a high-risk control group (P < .05). These findings indicate that craving is a potentially important psychological construct in pain patients prescribed opioids, regardless of their level of risk to misuse opioids. Targeting craving may be an important intervention to decrease misuse and improve prescription opioid compliance.Perspective: Patients with noncancer pain can crave their prescription opioids, regardless of their risk for opioid misuse. We found craving to be highly correlated with the urge to take more medication, fluctuations in mood, and preoccupation with the next dose, and to diminish with a behavioral intervention to improve opioid compliance. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 16 January 2012, 1:00 am Physical Activity, Sustained Sedentary Behavior, and Pain Modulation in Women With Fibromyalgia Abstract: Fibromyalgia (FM) has been conceptualized as a disorder of the central nervous system, characterized by augmented sensory processing and an inability to effectively modulate pain. We previously reported that physical activity is related to brain processing of pain, providing evidence... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Fibromyalgia (FM) has been conceptualized as a disorder of the central nervous system, characterized by augmented sensory processing and an inability to effectively modulate pain. We previously reported that physical activity is related to brain processing of pain, providing evidence for a potential mechanism of pain management. The purpose of this study was to extend our work by manipulating pain modulation and determining relationships to both physical activity and sustained sedentary behavior. Eleven women with FM completed accelerometer measures of physical activity and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging of painful heat, administered alone and during distracting cognitive tasks. Results showed that physical activity was significantly (P < .005) and positively related to brain responses during distraction from pain in regions implicated in pain modulation including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the dorsal posterior cingulate, and the periaqueductal grey. A significant negative relationship occurred in the left anterior insula. For sedentary time, significant negative relationships were observed in areas involved in both pain modulation and the sensory-discriminative aspects of pain including the DLPFC, thalamus, and superior frontal and pre- and post-central gyri. These results suggest that physical activity and sedentary behaviors are related to central nervous system regulation of pain in FM.Perspective: Our results support a promising benefit of physical activity and highlight the potentially deleterious effects of sustained sedentary behavior for pain regulation in FM. Studies aimed at increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary behavior and determining the impact of these on pain regulation are warranted. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 16 January 2012, 1:00 am How Do I Empathize With You? Let Me Count the Ways: Relations Between Facets of Pain-Related Empathy Abstract: This study examined the extent to which components of empathy (ie, empathic accuracy, empathic tendencies, and empathic responses) were correlated within the context of chronic pain couples. Additionally, the interrelationships between these empathy variables and spouse responses to... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: This study examined the extent to which components of empathy (ie, empathic accuracy, empathic tendencies, and empathic responses) were correlated within the context of chronic pain couples. Additionally, the interrelationships between these empathy variables and spouse responses to pain were investigated. Participants were 57 couples in which at least 1 spouse reported chronic musculoskeletal pain. Each couple participated in a videotaped interaction about the impact of pain in their lives together, after which they completed an empathic accuracy procedure. The interactions were coded for the spouse’s use of empathic responses. Couples also completed surveys about pain severity, pain interference, empathic tendencies, marital satisfaction, and perceived spousal responses (ie, solicitous and punishing responses) to pain. Spousal empathic responses and empathic accuracy were not related to one another nor were they related to spousal empathic tendencies, or solicitous spouse responses. Spousal punishing responses were negatively related to empathic responses. The association between solicitousness and empathic responses was moderated by spousal marital satisfaction. The findings suggest that there are not clear associations among these empathy variables. The results also indicate that the climate in which solicitousness is provided may influence the extent to which spouses display empathic responses.Perspective: The findings have implications for models of pain empathy and suggest that future research is needed to understand relations between aspects of empathy. Moreover, interventions aimed at addressing the empathic climate in which support is delivered may help spouses more empathically and effectively communicate with and assist partners with pain management. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 9 January 2012, 1:00 am Muscle Pain Differentially Modulates Short Interval Intracortical Inhibition and Intracortical Facilitation in Primary Motor Cortex Abstract: Excitability of the motor cortex can be suppressed during muscle pain. Yet the mechanisms are largely unknown. Short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF) were examined as possible candidate mechanisms to underpin this change. SICI and ICF were... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Excitability of the motor cortex can be suppressed during muscle pain. Yet the mechanisms are largely unknown. Short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF) were examined as possible candidate mechanisms to underpin this change. SICI and ICF were investigated in 11 healthy individuals before, during and after infusion of hypertonic saline into right first dorsal interosseous (FDI). Using paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), interstimulus intervals of 2, 3, and 13 ms were investigated. Pain intensity and quality were recorded using a 10-cm visual analogue scale and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Resting motor threshold and motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) to single TMS stimuli were recorded before and after pain. Electromyographic recordings were made from right FDI and abductor digiti minimi. Participants reported an average pain intensity of 5.8 (1.6) cm. MEP amplitudes decreased in both muscles. Compared with the pre-pain condition, SICI was increased following pain, but not during. ICF was decreased both during and after pain when compared with the pre-pain condition. These findings suggest that muscle pain differentially modulates SICI and ICF. Although the functional relevance is unknown, we hypothesize decreased facilitation and increased inhibition may contribute to the restriction of movement of a painful body part.Perspective: This article provides evidence for decreased intracortical facilitation and increased short interval intracortical inhibition in response to muscle pain. This finding is relevant to clinicians as a mechanism which may underlie restricted movement in acute and chronic pain. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 9 January 2012, 1:00 am Repetitive Treatment With Diluted Bee Venom Reduces Neuropathic Pain Via Potentiation of Locus Coeruleus Noradrenergic Neuronal Activity and Modulation of Spinal NR1 Phosphorylation in Rats Abstract: We previously demonstrated that a single injection of diluted bee venom (DBV) temporarily alleviates thermal hyperalgesia, but not mechanical allodynia, in neuropathic rats. The present study was designed to determine whether repetitive injection of DBV produces more potent analgesic... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: We previously demonstrated that a single injection of diluted bee venom (DBV) temporarily alleviates thermal hyperalgesia, but not mechanical allodynia, in neuropathic rats. The present study was designed to determine whether repetitive injection of DBV produces more potent analgesic effects on neuropathy-induced nociception and whether those effects are associated with increased neuronal activity in the locus coeruleus (LC) and with the suppression of spinal NMDA receptor NR1 subunit phosphorylation (pNR1). DBV (.25 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously twice a day for 2 weeks beginning on day 15 post-chronic constrictive injury surgery. Pain responses were examined and potential changes in LC Fos expression and spinal pNR1 expression were determined. Repetitive DBV administration significantly reduced mechanical allodynia, as well as thermal hyperalgesia. The activity of LC noradrenergic neurons was increased and spinal pNR1 expression was significantly suppressed by repetitive DBV as compared with those of vehicle or single DBV injection. These suppressive effects of repetitive DBV on neuropathic pain and spinal pNR1 were prevented by intrathecal pretreatment of idazoxan, an alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist. These results indicate that repetitive DBV produces potent analgesic effects on neuropathic pain and this is associated with the activation of the LC noradrenergic system and with a reduction in spinal pNR1.Perspective: The results of current study demonstrate that repetitive administration of DBV significantly suppresses neuropathic pain. Furthermore, this study provides mechanistic information that repetitive treatment of DBV can produce more potent analgesic effect than single DBV treatment, indicating a potential novel strategy for the management of chronic pain. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 5 January 2012, 1:00 am Time Series Analysis of California’s Prescription Monitoring Program: Impact on Prescribing and Multiple Provider Episodes Abstract: Prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) are designed to reduce medication diversion by identifying individuals obtaining the same medication from multiple providers (termed multiple provider episodes [MPEs]). This study determined whether recent changes to California’s PMP influenced:... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) are designed to reduce medication diversion by identifying individuals obtaining the same medication from multiple providers (termed multiple provider episodes [MPEs]). This study determined whether recent changes to California’s PMP influenced: 1) the extent that practitioners issue prescriptions for a variety of Schedule II opioids; and 2) the incidence of MPEs involving these opioids. Intervention time series of California’s PMP data was used to determine the effect of requiring practitioners to transition from using triplicate prescription forms for Schedule II medications to security forms for all controlled substances. Outcome measures included changes in number of prescriptions issued for Schedule II long-acting or short-acting (SA) opioids and the MPEs involving these medications. Requiring a security form was associated with a sustained prescribing increase for SA hydromorphone, meperidine, and SA oxycodone; no prescribing changes were found for SA fentanyl, methadone, and SA morphine, or for any long-acting opioids. The same policy change, however, increased MPEs involving all opioids. Further effort is required to determine how California’s PMP can continue to ensure availability of prescription opioids for medical use while better mitigating their diversion.Perspective: Statistical model-building was used to evaluate the influence of changes to California’s prescription monitoring program. The extent that practitioners prescribe Schedule II opioids and the incidence of people receiving prescriptions from multiple providers were measured. Such research illustrates the viability of evaluating drug control program impact on prescribing practice and potential diversion behaviors. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 24 November 2011, 1:00 am A Pilot Study of the Tolerability and Effects of High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) on Pain Perception Abstract: Several brain stimulation technologies are beginning to evidence promise as pain treatments. However, traditional versions of 1 specific technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), stimulate broad regions of cortex with poor spatial precision. A new tDCS design, called... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Several brain stimulation technologies are beginning to evidence promise as pain treatments. However, traditional versions of 1 specific technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), stimulate broad regions of cortex with poor spatial precision. A new tDCS design, called high definition tDCS (HD-tDCS), allows for focal delivery of the charge to discrete regions of the cortex. We sought to preliminarily test the safety and tolerability of the HD-tDCS technique as well as to evaluate whether HD-tDCS over the motor cortex would decrease pain and sensory experience. Twenty-four healthy adult volunteers underwent quantitative sensory testing before and after 20 minutes of real (n = 13) or sham (n = 11) 2 mA HD-tDCS over the motor cortex. No adverse events occurred and no side effects were reported. Real HD-tDCS was associated with significantly decreased heat and cold sensory thresholds, decreased thermal wind-up pain, and a marginal analgesic effect for cold pain thresholds. No significant effects were observed for mechanical pain thresholds or heat pain thresholds. HD-tDCS appears well tolerated, and produced changes in underlying cortex that are associated with changes in pain perception. Future studies are warranted to investigate HD-tDCS in other applications, and to examine further its potential to affect pain perception.Perspective: This article presents preliminary tolerability and efficacy data for a new focal brain stimulation technique called high definition transcranial direct current stimulation. This technique may have applications in the management of pain. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 21 November 2011, 1:00 am Physical Activity and Function in Adolescents With Chronic Pain: A Controlled Study Using Actigraphy Abstract: Physical functioning is often impaired in adolescents with chronic pain, which has largely been demonstrated through subjective self-report measures. Actigraphy uses motion monitoring as an objective means for assessing one dimension of physical functioning; physical activity level.... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Physical functioning is often impaired in adolescents with chronic pain, which has largely been demonstrated through subjective self-report measures. Actigraphy uses motion monitoring as an objective means for assessing one dimension of physical functioning; physical activity level. This study used subjective and objective measures to assess multiple dimensions of physical functioning in a clinical sample of adolescents with chronic pain (n = 78) and a comparison group of healthy adolescents (n = 59). Individual and pain characteristics were also examined as predictors of actigraphy variables within the chronic pain sample. Results indicated that adolescents with chronic pain demonstrate significant impairment in subjective measures of physical functioning and evidence lower levels of physical activity. Actigraphic measures of physical activity were moderately correlated with self-report measures of physical functioning. Individual characteristics, including adolescent age, sex, and Body Mass Index percentile, were associated with physical activity levels among adolescents with chronic pain. Physical activity represents a distinct dimension of physical functioning. Assessing physical activity may provide additional description of physical functioning among adolescents with chronic pain, and may help identify targets for intervention in this population.Perspective: This study demonstrates that adolescents with chronic pain have lower physical activity levels, as measured objectively via actigraphy, as well as poorer subjective reports of physical functioning, compared to healthy adolescents. Actigraphic measurement of physical activity provides objective source data about one dimension of physical functioning. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 18 November 2011, 1:00 am The Interruptive Effect of Pain in a Multitask Environment: An Experimental Investigation Abstract: Daily life is characterized by the need to stop, start, repeat, and switch between multiple tasks. Here, we experimentally investigate the effects of pain, and its anticipation, in a multitask environment. Using a task-switching paradigm, participants repeated and switched between 3... Click here to view full abstract Abstract: Daily life is characterized by the need to stop, start, repeat, and switch between multiple tasks. Here, we experimentally investigate the effects of pain, and its anticipation, in a multitask environment. Using a task-switching paradigm, participants repeated and switched between 3 tasks, of which 1 predicted the possible occurrence of pain. Half of the participants received low intensity pain (N = 30), and half high intensity pain (N = 30). Results showed that pain interferes with the performance of a simultaneous task, independent of the pain intensity. Furthermore, pain interferes with the performance on a subsequent task. These effects are stronger with high intensity pain than with low intensity pain. Finally, and of particular importance in this study, interference of pain on a subsequent task was larger when participants switched to another task than when participants repeated the same task.Perspective: This article is concerned with the interruptive effect of pain on people’s task performance by using an adapted task-switching paradigm. This adapted paradigm may offer unique possibilities to investigate how pain interferes with task performance while people repeat and switch between multiple tasks in a multitask environment. Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 10 November 2011, 1:00 am	Neuron - Table of Contents - Volume 73 Issue 3, 09 February 2012 Gamma Oscillations Are Generated Locally in an Attention-Related Midbrain Network C. Alex Goddard, Devarajan Sridharan, John R. Huguenard, Eric I. Knudsen. Gamma-band (25–140 Hz) oscillations are a hallmark of sensory processing in the forebrain. The optic tectum (OT), a midbrain structure implicated in sensorimotor processing and attention, also exh.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Curbing Fear by Axonal Oxytocin Release in the Amygdala Philip Tovote, Andreas Lüthi. Oxytocin produces anxiolytic effects via the central nucleus of the amygdala but how the peptide reaches its receptors in this region has been unclear. In this issue of Neuron, Knobloch et .... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Fasting Activation of AgRP Neurons Requires NMDA Receptors and Involves Spinogenesis and Increased Excitatory Tone Tiemin Liu, Dong Kong, Bhavik P. Shah, Chianping Ye, Shuichi Koda, Arpiar Saunders, Jun B. Ding, Zongfang Yang, Bernardo L. Sabatini, Bradford B. Lowell. AgRP neuron activity drives feeding and weight gain whereas that of nearby POMC neurons does the opposite. However, the role of excitatory... Click here to view full abstract Tiemin Liu, Dong Kong, Bhavik P. Shah, Chianping Ye, Shuichi Koda, Arpiar Saunders, Jun B. Ding, Zongfang Yang, Bernardo L. Sabatini, Bradford B. Lowell. AgRP neuron activity drives feeding and weight gain whereas that of nearby POMC neurons does the opposite. However, the role of excitatory glutamatergic input in controlling these neurons is unkno.... Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Lumping and Splitting the Neural Circuitry of Visual Attention Nicholas A. Steinmetz, Tirin Moore. Shifts of gaze and of covert attention rely on tightly linked yet divergent neural mechanisms. In this issue of Neuron, Gregoriou et al. (2012) provide interesting evidence that different f.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am SNARE Protein Recycling by αSNAP and βSNAP Supports Synaptic Vesicle Priming Andrea Burgalossi, Sangyong Jung, Guido Meyer, Wolf J. Jockusch, Olaf Jahn, Holger Taschenberger, Vincent M. O'Connor, Tei-ichi Nishiki, Masami Takahashi, Nils Brose, Jeong-Seop Rhee. Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Chi-Bin Chien: A Tribute Bill Harris, Christine Holt. Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Molecular Microcircuitry Underlies Functional Specification in a Basal Ganglia Circuit Dedicated to Vocal Learning Austin T. Hilliard, Julie E. Miller, Elizabeth R. Fraley, Steve Horvath, Stephanie A. White. Similarities between speech and birdsong make songbirds advantageous for investigating the neurogenetics of learned vocal communication—a complex phenotype probably supported by ensembles of inter.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am How Does the Brain Solve Visual Object Recognition? James J. DiCarlo, Davide Zoccolan, Nicole C. Rust. Mounting evidence suggests that ‘core object recognition,’ the ability to rapidly recognize objects despite substantial appearance variation, is solved in the brain via a cascade of reflexive, lar.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Rostrolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Individual Differences in Uncertainty-Driven Exploration David Badre, Bradley B. Doll, Nicole M. Long, Michael J. Frank. How do individuals decide to act based on a rewarding status quo versus an unexplored choice that might yield a better outcome? Recent evidence suggests that individuals may strategically explore .... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Chronic Pain: Emerging Evidence for the Involvement of Epigenetics Franziska Denk, Stephen B. McMahon. Epigenetic processes, such as histone modifications and DNA methylation, have been associated with many neural functions including synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Here, we critically ex.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Life-or-Death Decisions upon Axonal Damage Francesco Roselli, Pico Caroni. In this issue of Neuron, Hu et al. (2012) report that upon axonal damage, CHOP and XBP1 unfolded protein response pathways are not recruited equally and have opposite effects on neuronal su.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Differential Effects of Unfolded Protein Response Pathways on Axon Injury-Induced Death of Retinal Ganglion Cells Yang Hu, Kevin K. Park, Liu Yang, Xin Wei, Qiang Yang, Kin-Sang Cho, Peter Thielen, Ann-Hwee Lee, Romain Cartoni, Laurie H. Glimcher, Dong Feng Chen, Zhigang He. Loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) accounts for visual function deficits after optic nerve injury, but how axonal insults lead to... Click here to view full abstract Yang Hu, Kevin K. Park, Liu Yang, Xin Wei, Qiang Yang, Kin-Sang Cho, Peter Thielen, Ann-Hwee Lee, Romain Cartoni, Laurie H. Glimcher, Dong Feng Chen, Zhigang He. Loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) accounts for visual function deficits after optic nerve injury, but how axonal insults lead to neuronal death remains elusive. By using an optic nerve crush m.... Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Basal Ganglia Beta Oscillations Accompany Cue Utilization Daniel K. Leventhal, Gregory J. Gage, Robert Schmidt, Jeffrey R. Pettibone, Alaina C. Case, Joshua D. Berke. Beta oscillations in cortical-basal ganglia (BG) circuits have been implicated in normal movement suppression and motor impairment in Parkinson's disease. To dissect the functional correlates of t.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am HBL-1 Patterns Synaptic Remodeling in C. elegans Katherine L. Thompson-Peer, Jihong Bai, Zhitao Hu, Joshua M. Kaplan. During development, circuits are refined by the dynamic addition and removal of synapses; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that dictate where and when synaptic refinement oc.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Evoked Axonal Oxytocin Release in the Central Amygdala Attenuates Fear Response H. Sophie Knobloch, Alexandre Charlet, Lena C. Hoffmann, Marina Eliava, Sergey Khrulev, Ali H. Cetin, Pavel Osten, Martin K. Schwarz, Peter H. Seeburg, Ron Stoop, Valery Grinevich. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), which controls childbirth and lactation, receives increasing... Click here to view full abstract H. Sophie Knobloch, Alexandre Charlet, Lena C. Hoffmann, Marina Eliava, Sergey Khrulev, Ali H. Cetin, Pavel Osten, Martin K. Schwarz, Peter H. Seeburg, Ron Stoop, Valery Grinevich. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), which controls childbirth and lactation, receives increasing attention for its effects on social behaviors, but how it reaches central brain regions is.... Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am The Nogo Receptor Family Restricts Synapse Number in the Developing Hippocampus Zachary P. Wills, Caleigh Mandel-Brehm, Alan R. Mardinly, Alejandra E. McCord, Roman J. Giger, Michael E. Greenberg. Neuronal development is characterized by a period of exuberant synaptic growth that is well studied. However, the mechanisms that restrict this process are less clear. Here we demonstrate that gly.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Cell-Type-Specific Synchronization of Neural Activity in FEF with V4 during Attention Georgia G. Gregoriou, Stephen J. Gotts, Robert Desimone. Shifts of gaze and shifts of attention are closely linked and it is debated whether they result from the same neural mechanisms. Both processes involve the frontal eye fields (FEF), an area which .... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Palmitoylation by DHHC5/8 Targets GRIP1 to Dendritic Endosomes to Regulate AMPA-R Trafficking Gareth M. Thomas, Takashi Hayashi, Shu-Ling Chiu, Chih-Ming Chen, Richard L. Huganir. Palmitoylation, a key regulatory mechanism controlling protein targeting, is catalyzed by DHHC-family palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs). Impaired PAT activity is linked to neurodevelopmental and n.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Behavioral and Anatomical Consequences of Early versus Late Symbol Training in Macaques Krishna Srihasam, Joseph B. Mandeville, Istvan A. Morocz, Kevin J. Sullivan, Margaret S. Livingstone. Distinct brain regions, reproducible from one person to the next, are specialized for processing different kinds of human expertise, such as face recognition and reading. Here, we explore the rela.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Pull-Push Neuromodulation of LTP and LTD Enables Bidirectional Experience-Induced Synaptic Scaling in Visual Cortex ShiYong Huang, Mario Treviño, Kaiwen He, Alvaro Ardiles, Roberto de Pasquale, Yatu Guo, Adrian Palacios, Richard Huganir, Alfredo Kirkwood. Neuromodulatory input, acting on G protein-coupled receptors, is essential for the induction of experience-dependent cortical plasticity. Here we report that G-coupled receptors in layer II/III of.... Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am Cell-Type-Based Analysis of MicroRNA Profiles in the Mouse Brain Miao He, Yu Liu, Xiaowo Wang, Michael Q. Zhang, Gregory J. Hannon, Z. Josh Huang. Posted on 9 February 2012, 1:00 am	In This Issue As a result of both longer life expectancy and declining birth rates, in almost every developed country the number of people aged over 60 years is growing faster than the number in any other age group. This demographic shift is causing profound social and economic Posted on 20 February 2012, 1:00 am Synaptic plasticity: Adding a piece to the LTP jigsaw Complexin is involved in postsynaptic AMPA receptor exocytosis in long-term potentiation. Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Turning neural activity into words A paper published in PLoS Biology describes how researchers recorded neural population responses in non-primary auditory cortex of individuals listening to spoken words and then reconstructed the original spoken words from the population activity.The study shows that the superior temporal gyrus encodes certain Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Neurodegenerative disease: Dishing up Alzheimer's disease This study uses a cell reprogramming approach to investigate mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Addiction: Brain changes in siblings of addicted individuals Drug addiction has been associated with structural brain changes, but do they precede addiction or are they the consequence of it? Here, the authors showed that compared with unrelated healthy controls, stimulant-dependent individuals and their biological siblings have impaired inhibitory control, reduced white matter integrity Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Protein metabolism: No turnover for brain nuclear pore proteins Although most proteins undergo turnover, a few extremely long-lived proteins (ELLPs) have been identified. To detect potential ELLPs in the rat brain, the authors fed rat pups a 15N-enriched diet until they were 6 weeks of age and a 14N-enriched diet thereafter. Twenty-five Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Techniques: Nanoscale imaging of dendritic spines Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy has an extremely high (nanoscale) resolution, but this technique has not been applied in vivo in rodents. Here, the authors used STED microscopy to study neuron dynamics in vivo in the somatosensory cortex of adult mice. The images Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Cellular neurophysiology: ER cargo confinement influences dendritic plasticity The structural complexity of the ER restricts the diffusion of nascent proteins and influences the spatial scales of cargo transport to the dendritic membrane. Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Assembly of a new growth cone after axotomy: the precursor to axon regeneration The assembly of a new growth cone is a prerequisite for axon regeneration after injury. Creation of a new growth cone involves multiple processes, including calcium signalling, restructuring of the cytoskeleton, transport of materials, local translation of messenger RNAs and the insertion of new membrane Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Mechanisms of CaMKII action in long-term potentiation Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic strength occurs during learning and can last for long periods, making it a probable mechanism for memory storage. LTP induction results in calcium entry, which activates calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). CaMKII subsequently translocates to the synapse, where it binds Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Neuroimmunology: Neural activity regulates T cell entry Peripheral CD4+ T cells have a central role in multiple sclerosis, but how these cells cross the blood–brain barrier is not understood. Here, the authors examined this issue in a mouse model of the disease. In mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, CD4+ Posted on 15 February 2012, 1:00 am Addiction: Curtailing reward Histone deacetylases (HDACs), which regulate transcription, seem to modulate cocaine reward behaviours, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. A new study shows that in rodent striatal neurons, cocaine and cyclic AMP signalling, which is upregulated by cocaine, induce HDAC5 nuclear translocation. Such translocation is dependent Posted on 8 February 2012, 1:00 am Gene expression: Transcriptional mapping How the transcriptomes of various cell types in a specific brain area differ is unclear. Here, Siegert et al. created an atlas of cell type transcriptomes for the mouse retina and found that each cell type was associated with the expression of a specific Posted on 8 February 2012, 1:00 am Reward: High expectations for GABA GABA neurons encode the value of the expected reward — information that dopamine neurons need to compute prediction errors. Posted on 8 February 2012, 1:00 am Neurodegeneration: Alternative neuronal loss Although various RNA-processing proteins are implicated in neurodegenerative mechanisms, there is no firm evidence that defective RNA splicing causes neuronal loss. The pre-messenger RNA splicing machinery includes several uridine-rich small nuclear RNAs (U-snRNAs). Here, Jia et al. show that in mice, a mutation in Posted on 8 February 2012, 1:00 am Cerebral cortex: Whisking up a change in state In mammals, quiet wakefulness and active behaviour are associated with synchronized and desynchronized patterns, respectively, of spontaneous cortical activity (termed cortical states). The mechanisms controlling cortical states are poorly understood. Poulet et al. showed that active whisking behaviour in mice, which is associated with Posted on 8 February 2012, 1:00 am Understanding calcium waves and sparks in central neurons All cells use changes in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) to regulate cell signalling events. In neurons, with their elaborate dendritic and axonal arborizations, there are clear examples of both localized and widespread Ca2+ signals. [Ca2+]i Posted on 8 February 2012, 1:00 am Direction selectivity in the retina: symmetry and asymmetry in structure and function Visual information is processed in the retina to a remarkable degree before it is transmitted to higher visual centres. Several types of retinal ganglion cells (the output neurons of the retina) respond preferentially to image motion in a particular direction, and each type of direction-selective Posted on 8 February 2012, 1:00 am Pain: A new trick for opioids? An acute high dose of an opioid agonist may be able to reverse the synaptic plasticity associated with chronic pain. Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am Dendrites: Ensuring appropriate coverage Two new studies highlight the contribution of dendrite–substrate interactions to dendritic morphogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster sensory neurons. Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am Consciousness: Effective detection A new 'bedside' method that detects effective connectivity can discriminate between the vegetative state and the minimally conscious state. Posted on 25 January 2012, 1:00 am Neurodegenerative disorders: Microglia get ready, set... Primed microglia are associated with accelerated decline in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, and a new study indicates that the dysregulation of certain proteins of the alternative complement pathway might trigger the priming process. Posted on 25 January 2012, 1:00 am Recruiting adaptive cellular stress responses for successful brain ageing Successful ageing is determined in part by genetic background, but also by experiential factors associated with lifestyle and culture. Dietary, behavioural and pharmacological interventions have been identified as potential means to slow brain ageing and forestall neurodegenerative disease. Many... Click here to view full abstract Successful ageing is determined in part by genetic background, but also by experiential factors associated with lifestyle and culture. Dietary, behavioural and pharmacological interventions have been identified as potential means to slow brain ageing and forestall neurodegenerative disease. Many of these interventions recruit adaptive cellular Click here to reduce abstract Posted on 18 January 2012, 1:00 am	Trends in Neurosciences - Most Read Articles Serotonin transporter gene, stress and raphe–raphe interactions: a molecular mechanism of depression Agnes J. Jasinska, Christopher A. Lowry, Margit Burmeister. Reports of gene–environment interactions (GxE) between the serotonin transporter gene and stress on risk of depression have generated both excitement and controversy. The controversy persists in p.... Posted on 1 February 2012, 1:00 am The addicted brain craves new neurons: putative role for adult-born progenitors in promoting recovery Chitra D. Mandyam, George F. Koob. Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder associated with compulsive drug taking, drug seeking and a loss of control in limiting intake, reflected in three stages of a recurrent cycle: binge/intox.... Posted on 19 January 2012, 1:00 am Postsynaptic signaling during plasticity of dendritic spines Hideji Murakoshi, Ryohei Yasuda. Dendritic spines, small bulbous postsynaptic compartments emanating from neuronal dendrites, have been thought to serve as basic units of memory storage. Despite their small size (∼0.1 femtoliter).... Posted on 4 January 2012, 1:00 am Seeing the light: photobehavior in fruit fly larvae Alex C. Keene, Simon G. Sprecher. Understanding how sensory stimuli drive behavior requires a detailed understanding of the molecular and neural nature through which the stimuli are received and processed. The visual system of the.... Posted on 4 January 2012, 1:00 am TiNS Special Issue: Neuropsychiatric Disorders Rachel Jurd. Posted on 3 January 2012, 1:00 am Signaling pathways underlying the pathophysiology and treatment of depression: novel mechanisms for rapid-acting agents Ronald S. Duman, Bhavya Voleti. Basic and clinical studies demonstrate that stress and depression are associated with atrophy and loss of neurons and glia, which contribute to the decreased size and function of limbic brain regi.... Posted on 3 January 2012, 1:00 am Mood-stabilizing drugs: mechanisms of action Robert J. Schloesser, Keri Martinowich, Husseini K. Manji. Mood-stabilizing drugs are the most widely prescribed pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder, a disease characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. Despite extensive clin.... Posted on 3 January 2012, 1:00 am Molecular mechanisms regulating myelination in the peripheral nervous system Jorge A. Pereira, Frédéric Lebrun-Julien, Ueli Suter. Glial cells and neurons are engaged in a continuous and highly regulated bidirectional dialog. A remarkable example is the control of myelination. Oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (C.... Posted on 21 December 2011, 1:00 am The neurobiology of anhedonia and other reward-related deficits Andre Der-Avakian, Athina Markou. Anhedonia, or markedly diminished interest or pleasure, is a hallmark symptom of major depression, schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Over the past three decades, the clinical def.... Posted on 16 December 2011, 1:00 am Genetic and cognitive windows into circuit mechanisms of psychiatric disease P. Alexander Arguello, Joseph A. Gogos. Accumulating evidence indicates substantial etiological and pathophysiological heterogeneity as well as overlap within and across psychiatric disorders. Moreover, it is uncertain at what level, be.... Posted on 16 December 2011, 1:00 am The neurodevelopmental origins of suicidal behavior Gustavo Turecki, Carl Ernst, Fabrice Jollant, Benoit Labonté, Naguib Mechawar. Suicide and related behaviors are complex phenomena associated with different risk factors. Although most individuals who display suicidal behavior do not have a history of early-life adversity, a.... Posted on 16 December 2011, 1:00 am Trisomy 21 and early brain development Tarik F. Haydar, Roger H. Reeves. Trisomy for human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) results in Down syndrome (DS). The finished human genome sequence provides a thorough catalog of the genetic elements whose altered dosage perturbs developm.... Posted on 13 December 2011, 1:00 am Cortical parvalbumin interneurons and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia David A. Lewis, Allison A. Curley, Jill R. Glausier, David W. Volk. Deficits in cognitive control, a core disturbance of schizophrenia, appear to emerge from impaired prefrontal gamma oscillations. Cortical gamma oscillations require strong inhibitory inputs to py.... Posted on 7 December 2011, 1:00 am Has human olfaction evolved primarily to provide flavor to foods? Richard L. Doty. Posted on 5 December 2011, 1:00 am Prion protein at the crossroads of physiology and disease Emiliano Biasini, Jessie A. Turnbaugh, Ursula Unterberger, David A. Harris. The presence of the cellular prion protein (PrP^C) on the cell surface is critical for the neurotoxicity of prions. Although several biological activities have been attributed to PrP Posted on 1 December 2011, 1:00 am Developmental neuroplasticity after cochlear implantation Andrej Kral, Anu Sharma. Cortical development is dependent on stimulus-driven learning. The absence of sensory input from birth, as occurs in congenital deafness, affects normal growth and connectivity needed to form a fu.... Posted on 21 November 2011, 1:00 am What can mice tell us about how vision works? Andrew D. Huberman, Cristopher M. Niell. Understanding the neural basis of visual perception is a long-standing fundamental goal of neuroscience. Historically, most vision studies were carried out on humans, macaques and cats. Over the p.... Posted on 15 August 2011, 2:00 am Fear conditioning, synaptic plasticity and the amygdala: implications for posttraumatic stress disorder Amy L. Mahan, Kerry J. Ressler. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic experience such as domestic violence, natural disasters or combat-related trauma. The cost of such di.... Posted on 27 July 2011, 2:00 am Pattern separation in the hippocampus Michael A. Yassa, Craig E.L. Stark. The ability to discriminate among similar experiences is a crucial feature of episodic memory. This ability has long been hypothesized to require the hippocampus, and computational models suggest .... Posted on 25 July 2011, 2:00 am Mechanisms of top-down attention Farhan Baluch, Laurent Itti. Attention exhibits characteristic neural signatures in brain regions that process sensory signals. An important area of future research is to understand the nature of top-down signals that facilit.... 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