Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2013 Dec;1832(12):2257-63.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2013.08.012. Epub 2013 Sep 6.

Structural plasticity of dendritic spines: the underlying mechanisms and its dysregulation in brain disorders

Affiliations
Free article
Review

Structural plasticity of dendritic spines: the underlying mechanisms and its dysregulation in brain disorders

Kwok-On Lai et al. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013 Dec.
Free article

Abstract

Dendritic spines are specialized structures on neuronal processes where the majority of excitatory synapses are localized. Spines are highly dynamic, and their stabilization and morphology are influenced by synaptic activity. This extrinsic regulation of spine morphogenesis underlies experience-dependent brain development and information storage within the brain circuitry. In this review, we summarize recent findings that demonstrate the phenomenon of activity-dependent structural plasticity and the molecular mechanisms by which synaptic activity sculpt neuronal connections. Impaired structural plasticity is associated with perturbed brain function in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Information from the mechanistic studies therefore provides important insights into the design of therapeutic strategies for these brain disorders.

Keywords: BDNF; Dendritic spine; Local protein synthesis; NMDA receptor; Rho GTPase; Synaptic plasticity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types