The chemokine Cxcl14 regulates interneuron differentiation in layer I of the somatosensory cortex.

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked activity sculpts developing circuits. Yet, how these activity patterns intersect with cellular programs regulating the differentiation of neuronal subtypes is not well understood. Through electrophysiological and in vivo longitudinal analyses, we show that C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 14 (Cxcl14), a gene previously characterized for its association with tumor invasion, is expressed by single-bouquet cells (SBCs) in layer I (LI) of the somatosensory cortex during development.

Genetic mapping identifies Homer1 as a developmental modifier of attention.

Attention is required for most higher-order cognitive functions. Prior studies have revealed functional roles for the prefrontal cortex and its extended circuits to enabling attention, but the underlying molecular processes and their impacts on cellular and circuit function remain poorly understood. To develop insights, we here took an unbiased forward genetics approach to identify single genes of large effect on attention.

The Emergence of Network Activity Patterns in the Somatosensory Cortex - An Early Window to Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Across mammalian species, patterned activity in neural populations is a prominent feature of developing sensory cortices. Numerous studies have long appreciated the diversity of these patterns, characterizing their differences in spatial and temporal dynamics. In the murine somatosensory cortex, neuronal co-activation is thought to guide the formation of sensory maps and prepare the cortex for sensory processing after birth.

Layer I Interneurons Sharpen Sensory Maps during Neonatal Development.

The neonatal mammal faces an array of sensory stimuli when diverse neuronal types have yet to form sensory maps. How these inputs interact with intrinsic neuronal activity to facilitate circuit assembly is not well understood. By using longitudinal calcium imaging in unanesthetized mouse pups, we show that layer I (LI) interneurons, delineated by co-expression of the 5HT3a serotonin receptor (5HT3aR) and reelin (Re), display spontaneous calcium transients with the highest degree of synchrony among cell types present in the superficial barrel cortex at postnatal day 6 (P6).

The Impact of Age on Long-Term Quality of Life After Endonasal Endoscopic Resection of Skull Base Meningiomas.

Background: Midline ventral skull base meningiomas may be amenable to an endonasal endoscopic approach, which has theoretical advantages and may help preserve quality of life (QOL) when compared with transcranial approaches.

Objective: To investigate the effect of age on QOL following endonasal endoscopic surgery, given the documented impact of age on QOL outcomes following transcranial resection of midline ventral skull base meningiomas.

Methods: We reviewed a prospectively acquired database of endonasal endoscopic surgery for meningiomas.