So what are your top 5 papers for 2006?

Here are mine:

1. Spine growth precedes synapse formation in the adult neocortex in vivo. Nature Neuroscience (2006) 9:1117-1124 and Experience-dependent and cell-type-specific spine growth in the neocortex. Nature (2206) 441:979-983. OK, this is cheating, but you have to read them together. Long-term fluorescent imaging of how sensory experience changes spines (the pic is Fig.3s from the Nature paper) with serial EM reconstruction of these spines! Spinogenesis precedes synaptogenesis.

2. Cortex Is Driven by Weak but Synchronously Active Thalamocortical Synapses. Science (2006) 312: 1622-1627. Paired pre- and post-synaptic patch clamp in vivo!

3. Visualizing the Cortical Representation of Whisker Touch: Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging in Freely Moving Mice. Neuron (2006) 50:617-629. The title says it all.

4. Whole-cell recordings in freely moving rats. Neuron (2006) 51:399-407. Ditto.

5. Decreases in the precision of Purkinje cell pacemaking cause cerebellar dysfunction and ataxia. Nature Neuroscience (2006) 9:389-397. Relating channel biophysics to disease, and maybe even a cure? Who would have thought.

I have a silly dream that those who actually read this weblog might actually post their very own "Top 5 Papers of 2006", and sign the posts. Hint: use the 'post comments' button.

Nah, it's never going to happen is it?