Synaptic Loss and Neurodegeneration

Synapse loss is associated with sensory, motor, and cognitive impairments in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, such as major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as aging. Loss of excitatory synapses is the strongest correlate for cognitive impairments in Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the overwhelming evidence for synapse loss in contributing to disease etiology, very little is known about the mechanisms involved. Introducing disease linked mutations in model organisms has provided an entry point to address the mechanisms of synaptic dysfunction. Though this has led to many exciting discoveries, our current understanding has not reached the threshold required to develop translational approaches to treat synaptic abnormalities. To shine some light on this very important topic, we seek primary research articles, reviews and mini reviews on different aspects of synaptic dysfunction in the context of neurodegenerative disorders.

The topics include, but are not limited to:

- Synapse loss in mild cognitive impairment
- Role of glia in synapse loss and neurodegeneration
- Excitatory synaptic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases
- Inhibitory synaptic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases
- Novel animal models to study synapse loss
- Therapeutic approaches to restore synaptic function in disease models