Rats Exert Executive Control.

In this issue of Neuron, Duan et al. (2015) introduce a novel rodent model of executive control. Their neural recordings provide direct evidence for the task-set inertia theory and suggest a crucial role for the superior colliculus in executive control.

Optogenetic activation of an inhibitory network enhances feedforward functional connectivity in auditory cortex.

The mammalian neocortex is a highly interconnected network of different types of neurons organized into both layers and columns. Overlaid on this structural organization is a pattern of functional connectivity that can be rapidly and flexibly altered during behavior. Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) inhibitory neurons, which are implicated in cortical oscillations and can change neuronal selectivity, may play a pivotal role in these dynamic changes.

Modulation of perineuronal nets and parvalbumin with developmental song learning.

Neural circuits and behavior are shaped during developmental phases of maximal plasticity known as sensitive or critical periods. Neural correlates of sensory critical periods have been identified, but their roles remain unclear. Factors that define critical periods in sensorimotor circuits and behavior are not known.