In 1842, Charles Dickens visited the Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia to examine what was being called a revolutionary form of rehabilitation. After his visit, he summarized his observations into an essay in which he stated, “I am only the more convinced that there is a depth of terrible endurance in it which none but the sufferers themselves can fathom, and which no man has a right to inflict upon his fellow-creature. I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain, to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body.” Dickens’ words describe solitary confinement. While there is no one standard for solitary confinement conditions, it usually involves an individual being placed in complete sensory and social isolation for 23 hours a day. What Dickens observed in 1842 is not unlike current solitary confinement conditions. At its start, the justice system was meant to be rehabilitative, a place for individuals to learn from their mistakes and return to the community as productive members of society. This was an ideal model but was not executed as well as described. In the 1970s it appeared that the current techniques were not working (rising crime rate and disenchantment with current state) and the system took a turn toward more punitive goals. Still, some scholars argue that the ideas behind rehabilitative treatment are embedded and possibly still growing within our current justice system.

Material below is adapted from the SfN Short Course, TREM2 Variants: New Keys to Decipher Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis by Marco Colonna, MD, and Yaming Wang, PhD. Short Courses are day-long scientific trainings on emerging neuroscience topics and research techniques held just prior to SfN’s annual meeting. Mutations in the gene that encodes triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) were originally discovered in patients with a very rare form of inheritable dementia. TREM2 is a transmembrane protein expressed on the surface of microglia, the cells that function as macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS). The receptor senses lipids and has multiple downstream effects, including increased calcium signaling and remodeling of the cytoskeletal protein actin. Now, researchers are investigating a role for this receptor in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Are you planning on attending Neuroscience 2023?

There are a few ways institutions can discuss animal research, according to Mar Sanchez, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University, core scientist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and past committee chair of SfN’s Committee on Animal Research. She notes that institutions “have to be open to disclosing that they are doing animal research and the value of the animal research.” In addition, institutions “have to be planning. They have to be ready in case that their researchers get under attack by animal rights extremists.” Watch this short video to learn: - Why it’s important to engage your institution. - What strategies institutions can take. - What may result without institutional preparedness.

With so many posters, talks, symposiums, exhibits, socials, and more, it can seem like there are as many ways to approach the meeting as there are attendees.

Samantha White serves as a judge and tutor for Washington DC’s local Brain Bee each year. About her time as an undergraduate student at American University (she graduated in 2018), she says, “Balancing classes, work, lab time, and a social life got complicated, but I always found time to engage with the community.” Here, read how making time for outreach has influenced her career aspirations and her advice for getting involved. What initially sparked your interest in outreach? Community service has always been a part of my life. My role models growing up always emphasized how import it is to give back. As a college student, the best way I knew how to do that was donating time and enthusiasm for causes I care about: education and STEM outreach. During my junior year, I started a neuroscience club on campus with some friends. We were looking for ways to get members involved in the DC community. That led us to the DC Brain Bee. It’s a fun event where, even as a judge, we had the chance to quiz ourselves on brain basics and encourage high school students throughout the competition. It was really exciting to see the students get fired up about neuroscience. Their energy was infectious. We all left the event inspired to study even more.

Elizabeth Glover, a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina and member of SfN’s Trainee Advisory Committee, is in her last year of being a postdoc and looking to make the transition to independent faculty.

Linda Porrino, a department chair at Wake Forest School of Medicine, reflects on what she looks for when hiring new faculty. If you’re considering an academic career now or in the future, read her advice on how to gain experience as a student, make a good impression in the interview, negotiate for what you need, and more.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) adversely affects the learning, social interaction, and daily living of affected children. Atomoxetine (ATX) hydrochloride (HCI) has been widely used in clinical practice. Electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback, as a non-pharmacological treatment approach, has also demonstrated potential in improving symptoms in children with ADHD. We aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of combining ATX HCI with EEG biofeedback in the treatment of ADHD in children. We hypothesized that this combined therapy would be more effective in alleviating symptoms in children with ADHD. Ninety children with ADHD were randomly separated into the control group (receiving ATX HCI treatment for 12 weeks) and study group (receiving ATX HCI treatment for 12 weeks combined with 60 sessions of EEG biofeedback treatment) (n = 45). Swanson, Nolan and Pelham-IV (SNAP-IV) rating scale scores, Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA-CPT) results, Conners Parent Sympto...

Deciding to apply to graduate school is a big decision. The admission timeline for most PhD programs in the United States begins one year before enrollment. Meaning, if you want to go straight to grad school from undergrad, you’ll have to apply during your senior year. While a seamless transition may be appealing, it’s important to consider the strength of your application with respect to your target programs and schools. In my experience, a gap year, an increasingly popular option for many prospective graduate students, offers a chance to gain the financial capital to apply, brush up on skills and experiences, reflect on what you want out of grad school, and further develop as an aspiring scientist.