JNeurosci

Exploring How Callosal Projections Form Isabel Perez-Otaño, Oliver Crawley, Barbara Corral-Sánchez, Ana Isabel Navarro, and Sonia Marco Martínez (see article e0156252026) The corpus callosum contains axonal projections that connect the cortical hemispheres of the brain. These projections originate from layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons and target corresponding brain areas in the opposite, or contralateral, hemisphere.

Tracking the Dynamics of Corneal Neurons Over Time Elena Bizzarri, Quentin Rappeneau, Cadisha Saint-Hilaire, Emilia Koestel, Stephane Fouquet et al. (see article e2089252026) The cornea protects the tissues of the inner eye from the environment and is innervated by external sensory inputs. Bizzarri et al. advanced understanding of how nerves in the cornea develop, mature, and remodel over time in vivo.

Abstract Prolonged postnatal maturation of the primate amygdala is thought to be driven, at least partially, by continued neural maturation within the paralaminar nucleus (PL). At birth, the PL is densely populated with post-mitotic glutamatergic neurons that gradually mature throughout postnatal life. This active process is likely supported by microglia, which promotes synaptic maturation.

Abstract Cognitive control organizes abstract contexts, stimuli, and actions into hierarchically structured representations. This organization supports flexible behavior but requires updating at multiple levels of the hierarchy, a process reflected in task switch costs. However, it remains unclear how updating differs across levels of abstraction and how these differences relate to behavior and neural representations.

A Mechanism for Manganese Neurotoxicity Hadassah Mendez-Vazquez, Avanti Gokhale, Maureen M. Sampson, Felix G. Rivera Moctezuma, Adriana Harbuzariu, et al. (see article e1936252026) Manganese is a natural element in the environment that is harmless in small exposures but can be toxic with excess exposure. In this issue, Mendez-Vazquez and colleagues explored mechanisms for neurotoxicity from manganese in mice and human cell cultures.

Abstract When we encounter an exception to our prior category knowledge, such as a leaf-like butterfly that perceptually diverges from the butterflies we commonly see, we must update our knowledge to reconcile this exception item and generalize it to similar instances. Category knowledge updating has been suggested to rely on flexible representational modulation by the hippocampus, which involves two critical operations – pattern differentiation and integration.

Spatiotemporal Divergence Between Intrinsic And Evoked Cortical Activity Predicts Visual Detection Dylan Jensen, Zachary W. Davis Journal of Neuroscience 10 June 2026, e2304252026; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2304-25.2026

Abstract A central question in cognitive neuroscience is how the brain implements abstract computations that must generalize across superficially different inputs. Language provides a strong test case: the same grammatical operation, such as pluralization, can be realized through distinct rules and forms across languages. Whether such transformations rely on language-specific neural systems or on abstract mechanisms that generalize across linguistic contexts remains unresolved.

Abstract This Viewpoint argues that understanding how the brain controls behavior requires an explicitly evolutionary framework. The mammalian brain did not emerge through the replacement of earlier circuits with perfect alternatives but rather through the elaboration of existing circuits along with the addition of new ones, yielding a hierarchical architecture in which many ancient spinal and brainstem circuits remain functionally essential.

Pulvinar subregions influence select cortical pathways in humans Jordan A. Bilderbeek, Nicholas M. Gregg, Maria Guadalupe Yanez-Ramos, Harvey Huang, Morgan Montoya, Peter Brunner, Jon T. Willie, Jamie J. Van Gompel, Gregory A. Worrell, Kai J. Miller, Dora Hermes Journal of Neuroscience 3 June 2026, e1604252026; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1604-25.2026