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Rethinking Intellectual Disability from Neuro- to Astro-Pathology
Version 1
: Received: 30 October 2020 / Approved: 2 November 2020 / Online: 2 November 2020 (09:36:46 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Fernández-Blanco, Á.; Dierssen, M. Rethinking Intellectual Disability from Neuro- to Astro-Pathology. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 9039. Fernández-Blanco, Á.; Dierssen, M. Rethinking Intellectual Disability from Neuro- to Astro-Pathology. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 9039.
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders arise from genetic and/or from environmental factors and are characterized by different degrees of intellectual disability. The mechanisms that govern important processes sustaining learning and memory, which are severely affected in intellectual disability, have classically been thought to be exclusively under neuronal control. However, this vision has recently evolved into a more integrative conception, in which astroglia, rather than just acting as metabolic supply and structural anchoring for neurons, interact at distinct levels modulating neuronal communication and possibly also cognitive processes. Recently, genetic tools have made it possible to specifically manipulate astrocyte activity unraveling novel functions that involve astrocytes in memory function in the healthy brain. However, astrocyte manipulation has also underscored potential mechanisms by which dysfunctional astrocytes could contribute to memory deficits in several neurodevelopmental disorders revealing new pathogenic mechanisms in intellectual disability. Here, we review the current knowledge about astrocyte dysfunction that might contribute to learning and memory impairment in neurodevelopmental disorders, with special focus on Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome.
Keywords
astrocytes; neurodevelopmental disorders; memory deficits, Fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome.
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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