About this Research Topic
The mammalian brain has a remarkable capacity to overcome internal (e.g. genetic susceptibility) and external insults (e.g. stress) that may perturb its homeostasis. This intrinsic property is observed in many brain regions including limbic and cortical areas. As an example, the hippocampus, recognized as one of most plastic brain regions, shows various forms of neural plasticity throughout life, including the remodeling of neuronal cytoarchitecture, (epi)genetic modifications, but also the postnatal generation of new neural cells (cytogenesis).
These processes are known to be crucially involved in brain function, and to provide behavioral adaptive responses to adversity. However, persistent and/or intense experiences or insults may negatively affect or suppress these behavioral processes, ultimately leading to the development of psychiatric disorders (e.g. anxiety, depression and addiction). Despite increased scientific attention to these processes, many important questions remain to be addressed.
In this Research Topic, we will welcome Original Research, Reviews, or short Opinions regarding the involvement of neural plastic events (e.g., neural remodeling, glial plasticity, and molecular, genetic and epigenetic modifications, cytogenesis) in health and disease, to advance the current knowledge regarding the relationship between neural plasticity and brain function in absence or in presence of adverse events throughout life. This Research Topic is open to submission of articles addressing the following themes:
• Cellular and molecular profiles of neural plastic actions in basal conditions and after exposure to adverse events;
• Sex-specific differences on mechanisms of basal neural plasticity and adversity-induced plasticity, and functional and behavioral correlates;
• Impact of single or cumulative exposure to adverse events (e.g. stress) throughout life (during development, early-life, or adulthood) on neural plastic actions and consequent functional and behavioral implications;
• Unravel the relevance of plastic mechanisms to resilience and/or vulnerability to adversity-induced behavioral effects;
• Involvement of neural plasticity and related mechanisms in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders;
• Neural plasticity mechanisms involved in the actions of therapeutic agents and their long-term effects;
• Neural plasticity strategies to prevent the development, or to confer resistance to psychiatric disorders;
• Age-related changes in neural plasticity and its impact on functional age-related functional and behavioral impairments.
These processes are known to be crucially involved in brain function, and to provide behavioral adaptive responses to adversity. However, persistent and/or intense experiences or insults may negatively affect or suppress these behavioral processes, ultimately leading to the development of psychiatric disorders (e.g. anxiety, depression and addiction). Despite increased scientific attention to these processes, many important questions remain to be addressed.
In this Research Topic, we will welcome Original Research, Reviews, or short Opinions regarding the involvement of neural plastic events (e.g., neural remodeling, glial plasticity, and molecular, genetic and epigenetic modifications, cytogenesis) in health and disease, to advance the current knowledge regarding the relationship between neural plasticity and brain function in absence or in presence of adverse events throughout life. This Research Topic is open to submission of articles addressing the following themes:
• Cellular and molecular profiles of neural plastic actions in basal conditions and after exposure to adverse events;
• Sex-specific differences on mechanisms of basal neural plasticity and adversity-induced plasticity, and functional and behavioral correlates;
• Impact of single or cumulative exposure to adverse events (e.g. stress) throughout life (during development, early-life, or adulthood) on neural plastic actions and consequent functional and behavioral implications;
• Unravel the relevance of plastic mechanisms to resilience and/or vulnerability to adversity-induced behavioral effects;
• Involvement of neural plasticity and related mechanisms in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders;
• Neural plasticity mechanisms involved in the actions of therapeutic agents and their long-term effects;
• Neural plasticity strategies to prevent the development, or to confer resistance to psychiatric disorders;
• Age-related changes in neural plasticity and its impact on functional age-related functional and behavioral impairments.
Keywords: Neural Plasticity, Homeostasis, Cytogenesis, Adversity, Psychiatric disorders
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
