Brain functions are realized by the activity of neuronal networks composed of a huge number of neurons. The efficiency of information transfer within the networks is changeable. Even the networks themselves can change through experience. Information transfer between neurons is performed at the synapse (the site of the neurons’ contact) by release of neurotransmitters from the pre-synaptic cell and capture of neurotransmitters by the post-synaptic cell. The amount of released neurotransmitter or the efficacy of capture can change. Moreover, synapses are found to be newly formed upon activity or abandoned upon inactivity. These changes are called "synaptic plasticity". This text focuses on one component of synaptic plasticity called transsynaptic signaling, or communication of synapses during their formation.

Formation of synapses and the changes in their connections during life are the basis for learning and memory and recovery from brain disease or injury. Much interest has been focused on how synapses function at the molecular level, while the cell-cell interactions controlling the formation receive far less attention. This book expands the scope of inquiry beyond the synaptic cleft to provide a comprehensive insight into how intercellular signalling enables neurons to communicate beyond the synapse, and to interact with other cells in the brain to alter synaptic connections appropriately. There are chapters devoted to consideration of glia, brain cells which have thus far been ignored in the majority of studies of learning and memory. Writing for academic researchers and professionals, contributors to this book reveal that there is much to learning and memory that lies beyond the synapse.

Activity within neural circuits shapes the synaptic properties of component neurons in a manner that maintains stable excitatory drive, a process referred to as homeostatic plasticity. These potent and adaptive mechanisms have been demonstrated to modulate activity at the level of an individual neuron, synapse, circuit, or entire network, and dysregulation at some or all of these levels may contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. Greater mechanistic understanding of homeostatic plasticity will provide key insights into the etiology of these disorders, which may result from network instability and synaptic dysfunction. Over the past 15 years, the molecular mechanisms of this form of plasticity have been intensely studied in various model organisms, including invertebrates and vertebrates. Though once thought to have a predominantly postsynaptic basis, emerging evidence suggests that homeostatic mechanisms act on both sides of the synapse through mechanisms such as retrograde signaling, to orchestrate compensatory adaptations that maintain stable network function. These trans-synaptic signaling systems ultimately alter neurotransmitter release probability by a variety of mechanisms including changes in vesicle pool size and calcium influx. These adaptations are not expected to occur homogenously at all terminals of a pre-synaptic neuron, as they might synapse with neurons in non-overlapping circuits. However, the factors that govern the homeostatic control of synapse-specific plasticity are only beginning to be understood. In addition to our limited molecular understanding of pre-synaptic homeostatic plasticity, very little is known about its prevalence in vivo or its physiological and disease relevance. In this research topic, we aim to fill the aforementioned void by covering a broad range of topics that include: - Identification of signaling pathways and mechanisms that operate globally or locally to induce specific pre-synaptic adaptations - The nature of pre-synaptic ion channels relevant to this form of plasticity and their synapse-specific modulation and trafficking - Development and utilization of new tools or methods to study homeostatic plasticity in axons and pre-synaptic terminals - Novel mechanisms of homeostatic adaptations in pre-synaptic neurons - Postsynaptic sensors of activity and retrograde synaptic signaling systems - A comprehensive analysis of the kinds of pre-synaptic adaptations in diverse neural circuits and cell types - Identification of physiological or developmental conditions that promote pre-synaptic homeostatic adaptations - How activity-dependent (Hebbian) and homeostatic synaptic changes are integrated to both permit sufficient flexibility and maintain stable activity - Relevance of pre-synaptic homeostatic plasticity to the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders - Computational modeling of pre-synaptic homeostatic plasticity and network stability.

This detailed volume collects protocols for experimentation into how neurons connect to produce the extraordinary functionalities of the nervous system. Contributed by experts and pioneers in their respective techniques, the book covers synapses in the brain and in culture, their constituents, their structures, their dynamics, and the assemblies they form, all in the structure of a laboratory guide. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Synapse Development: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to minimizing the barrier to entry for the integration of new approaches with existing expertise, producing syntheses that will foster novel perspectives on the many ways in which synapses form, transform, and transmit.

Nerve cells form thousands of contact points, the synapses, to communicate information with other neurons and target cells. Synapses are sites for changes in brain function through modification of synaptic transmission termed synaptic plasticity. The study of synaptic plasticity has flourished over the years with the advancement of technical breakthroughs and is a timely scientific endeavor today just like it was several decades ago. This book contributes to our understanding of synaptic plasticity at the molecular, biochemical, and cellular systems and behavioral level and informs the reader about its clinical relevance. The book contains ten chapters in three sections: (1) "Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity," (2) "Neural Plasticity," and (3) "Plasticity and Neurological Diseases." The book provides detailed and current reviews in these different areas written by experts in their respective fields. The mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and its relation to neurological diseases are featured prominently as a recurring theme throughout most chapters. This book will be most useful for neuroscientists and other scientists alike and will contribute to the training of current and future students who find the plastic nervous system as fascinating as many generations before them.

Studying brain networks has become a truly interdisciplinary endeavor, attracting students and seasoned researchers alike from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. What has been lacking is an introductory textbook that brings together the different fields and provides a gentle introduction to the major concepts and findings in the emerging field of network neuroscience. Network Neuroscience is a one-stop-shop that is of equal use to the neurobiologist, who is interested in understanding the quantitative methods employed in network neuroscience, and to the physicist or engineer, who is interested in neuroscience applications of mathematical and engineering tools. The book spans 27 chapters that cover everything from individual cells all the way to complex network disorders such as depression and autism spectrum disorders. An additional 12 toolboxes provide the necessary background for making network neuroscience accessible independent of the reader's background. Dr. Flavio Frohlich wrote this book based on his experience of mentoring dozens of trainees in the Frohlich Lab, from undergraduate students to senior researchers. The Frohlich lab pursues a unique and integrated vision that combines computer simulations, animal model studies, human studies, and clinical trials with the goal of developing novel brain stimulation treatments for psychiatric disorders. The book is based on a course he teaches at UNC that has attracted trainees from many different departments, including neuroscience, biomedical engineering, psychology, cell biology, physiology, neurology, and psychiatry. Dr. Frohlich has consistently received rave reviews for his teaching. With this book he hopes to make his integrated view of neuroscience available to trainees and researchers on a global scale. His goal is to make the book the training manual for the next generation of (network) neuroscientists, who will be fusing biology, engineering, and medicine to unravel the big questions about the brain and to revolutionize psychiatry and neurology. - Easy-to-read, comprehensive introduction to the emerging field of network neuroscience - Includes 27 chapters packed with information on topics from single neurons to complex network disorders such as depression and autism - Features 12 toolboxes serve as primers to provide essential background knowledge in the fields of biology, mathematics, engineering, and physics