Timing is everything

摘要

Interactions among neurons in brain circuits underlie sensory perception and information storage. Work in locusts shows how the timing of different neuronal signals is synchronized to ensure effective communication.rnMost biological systems can adapt to different conditions and environments. The nervous system has elaborated on this ability and developed mechanisms that use prior experience to predict future events. Many of these mechanisms could potentially support behavioural prediction. However, little is known about which specific mechanisms are used during common tasks, such as learning how to hit a baseball or remembering to avoid poison ivy. In a seminal study, Cassenaer and Laurent (page 709 of this issue) demonstrate a specific predictive mechanism that operates during olfactory learning in locusts.