Brain Structural Plasticity: Theme and Variations
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 201
Special Issue Editors
Interests: brain plasticity; comparative neuroplasticity; neuronal differentiation; adult neurogenesis; immature neurons; postnatal brain development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: spinal cord injury; adult neurogenesis; neuronal precursors; piriform cortex; electrophysiology; extracellular vesicles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The ability of neurons to become more versatile either by making new or stronger connections with other neurons, or by generating and integrating new neurons, is a property we call brain structural plasticity. This feature may allow us to learn a new language or ability, may cause us to become addicted to an object or behavior, and can be applied in brain repair. The plasticity of synaptic connections is considered to be the basis of the brain's learning changes in response to external environmental stimuli. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is among the important manifestations of synaptic plasticity and the most important molecular cell model for current research on learning and memory. This may partly explain why drug abuse affects brain plasticity and impels learning in the cortex. The discoveries about molecules involved in brain plasticity offer new evidence and hope that treatments may be developed for diseases such as motor learning disabilities or drug withdrawal.
Brain structural plasticity is also important for the repair, maintenance, and implementation of neural circuit efficiency from birth to old age. Though structural brain repair is hardly attainable in the case of most neurological diseases, structural plasticity according to lifestyle has remarkable preventive potential. These processes involve diverse mechanisms and cell populations across different brain regions and can be variegated according to species and age as well. The progressive shift from plasticity to stability throughout life could define different degrees of maturation in specific brain regions. However, the criteria and mechanisms of “maturation”, both at the cellular and at the circuit levels, still remain elusive. In addition to the well-studied processes of stem cell-driven adult neurogenesis, the recent detection of prenatally settled “immature” neurons, resuming maturation and functional integration in various regions of the adult brain, further adds to the complexity and intertwinement of neuronal and brain maturation processes.
This Special Issue welcomes researchers to submit original research articles and review papers on molecular mechanisms related to brain structural plasticity, and will address:
- Molecules that play important roles in reshaping brain structures (neuronal connections) and maintaining new connections;
- How genetics and environment work together to shape mammalian brain development and plasticity;
- The processes by which new connections are made and maintained, and the molecular and cellular biological processes that control the synthesis and degradation of proteins in neurons and their synapses;
- Molecular mechanisms for neuronal quiescence, differentiation and maturation in different contexts (e.g., embryonic and adult neurogenesis, latent immature neurons);
- Better identification and characterization of neuronal maturational stages and of their transcriptomic or molecular markers;
- Phylogenetic and evolutionary choices for different types of cellular plasticity;
- Molecular mechanisms of canonical and non-canonical adult neurogenesis;
- Molecular mechanisms behind the processes of neuronal dematuration, hypo-maturation and rejuvenation;
- Cognitive and behavioral aspects of neuronal maturation in infant and adult brains;
- Temporal and regional aspects of postnatal brain maturation;
- Glial cell contribution to neuronal and brain maturation;
- Modulation of neuronal and brain maturation by experimental cues, lifestyle and pathological conditions;
- Experimental paradigms, new technologies and new imaging strategies helping to better unravel the multifaceted aspects of neuronal and brain maturation;
- Choice of animal models to address the issue of brain plasticity.
Dr. Luca Bonfanti
Prof. Dr. Sebastien Couillard-Despres
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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