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Learning and memory are believed to depend on plastic changes of neuronal circuits due to activity-dependent potentiation or depression of specific synapses. During the last two decades, plasticity of brain circuits was hypothesized to mainly rely on the flexibility of glutamatergic excitatory synapses, whereas inhibitory synapses were assumed relatively invariant, to ensure stable and reliable control of the neuronal network. As a consequence, while considerable efforts were made to clarify the main mechanisms underlying plasticity at excitatory synapses, the study of the cellular/molecular mechanisms of inhibitory plasticity has received much less attention. Nevertheless, an increasing bod...
This volume will explore the most recent findings on cellular mechanisms of inhibitory plasticity and its functional role in shaping neuronal circuits, their rewiring in response to experience, drug addiction and in neuropathology. Inhibitory Synaptic Plasticity will be of particular interest to neuroscientists and neurophysiologists.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired reciprocal social interactions and communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors and interests. Studies in genetics, neurobiology and systems biology are providing insights into the pathogenesis of ASDs. Investigation of neural and synaptic defects in ASDs not only sheds light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the function of the central nervous system, but may lead to the discovery of potential therapeutic targets for autism and other cognitive disorders. Our Research Topic which constitutes this e-book documents the recent development and ideas in the study of pathogenesis and treatment of ASDs, with an emphasis on syndromic disorders such as fragile X and Rett syndromes. In addition, model systems and methodological approaches with translational relevance to autism are covered herein. We hope that the Research Topic will enhance the global knowledge base in the autism research community and foster new research directions in autism related biology.
Vision is the process of extracting behaviorally-relevant information from patterns of light that fall on retina as the eyes sample the outside world. Traditionally, nonhuman primates (macaque monkeys, in particular) have been viewed by many as the animal model-of-choice for investigating the neuronal substrates of visual processing, not only because their visual systems closely mirror our own, but also because it is often assumed that “simpler” brains lack advanced visual processing machinery. However, this narrow view of visual neuroscience ignores the fact that vision is widely distributed throughout the animal kingdom, enabling a wide repertoire of complex behaviors in species from i...
Developing novel and more effective treatments that improve quality of life for individuals with autism spectrum disorders is urgently needed. To date a wide range of behavioral interventions have been shown to be safe and effective for improving language and cognition and adaptive behavior in children and adolescents with ASD. However many people with ASD can receive additional benefit from targeted pharmacological interventions. One of the major drawback in setting up therapeutics intervention is the remarkable individual differences found across individuals with ASD. As a matter of fact the medications that are currently available address only symptoms associated with ASD and not the core...