Neuro-immune interactions in health and disease: Insights from FENS-Hertie 2022 Winter School.

In a great partnership, the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the Hertie Foundation organized the FENS-Hertie 2022 Winter School on 'Neuro-immune interactions in health and disease'. The school selected 27 PhD students and 13 postdoctoral fellows from 20 countries and involved 14 faculty members experts in the field. The Winter School focused on a rising field of research, the interactions between the nervous and both innate and adaptive immune systems under pathological and physiological conditions.

Spared cognitive and behavioral functions prior to epilepsy onset in a rat model of subcortical band heterotopia.

Subcortical band heterotopia (SBH), also known as doublecortex syndrome, is a malformation of cortical development resulting from mutations in the doublecortin gene (DCX). It is characterized by a lack of migration of cortical neurons that accumulate in the white matter forming a heterotopic band. Patients with SBH may present mild to moderate intellectual disability as well as epilepsy.

Direct and Collateral Alterations of Functional Cortical Circuits in a Rat Model of Subcortical Band Heterotopia.

Subcortical band heterotopia (SBH), also known as double-cortex syndrome, is a neuronal migration disorder characterized by an accumulation of neurons in a heterotopic band below the normotopic cortex. The majority of patients with SBH have mild to moderate intellectual disability and intractable epilepsy. However, it is still not clear how cortical networks are organized in SBH patients and how this abnormal organization contributes to improper brain function.

Correct Laminar Positioning in the Neocortex Influences Proper Dendritic and Synaptic Development.

The neocortex is a 6-layered laminated structure with a precise anatomical and functional organization ensuring proper function. Laminar positioning of cortical neurons, as determined by termination of neuronal migration, is a key determinant of their ability to assemble into functional circuits. However, the exact contribution of laminar placement to dendrite morphogenesis and synapse formation remains unclear.