Editorial: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity at hippocampal and cortical synapses

Abstract

'Francesco Mattia Rossi'] One of the most fascinating properties of the nervous system is the ability to modify its structure and function in order to adapt to the continuously changing environment. The efficiency of the communication between two neurons is modulated by the plasticity of synapses, the strengthening or weakening over time of their function in response to changes in synaptic activity. The idea that neuronal circuits could change in an activity-dependent manner was first proposed by Donald Hebb in 1949. Nowadays, plasticity processes have been identified in almost all species, in primary modalities but also in multimodal functions. It is also well-established that plastic changes can span along different timescales and are required for the correct development of the nervous system as well as for experience-dependent memory and learning. Moreover, many neurological diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders are today interpreted as alterations in plasticity mechanisms. The main objective of this Research Topic is to collect research articles and reviews to provide new insights and explanatory models capable of accounting for the complexity of the plasticity mechanisms used by the hippocampus and cerebral cortex to modulate the strength of neuronal circuits under physiological and pathological conditions. Based on the articles and reviews detailed below, the multi-level analysis becomes relevant to support our understanding of synaptic plasticity in the brain. [Vannini et al.](), use different methodological approaches (a combination of photoconversion and electron microscopy to assess changes of synaptic vesicle pools in vivo, electrophysiology and proteomics) to identify at nanoscale level alterations of homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) mechanisms. They took advantage of a well-characterized model of chronic, focal epilepsy in the visual cortex of the mouse. Their data contribute to the characterization of the complex release machinery and the molecular modifications promoted by epileptic networks.