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Updated: Feb 22, 2026
Author Spotlight: Optimizing Dendritic Spine Analysis for Balanced Manual and Automated Assessment in the Hippocampus CA1 Apical Dendrites
Published on: September 27, 2024
Dendritic spine pathology and thrombospondin-1 deficits in Down syndrome
Maria D Torres1, Octavio Garcia2, Cindy Tang1
1Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (iMIND), and Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States.
Abstract:
Abnormal dendritic spine structure and function is one of the most prominent features associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including Down syndrome (DS). Defects in both spine morphology and spine density may underlie alterations in neuronal and synaptic plasticity, ultimately affecting cognitive ability. Here we briefly examine the role of astrocytes in spine alterations and more specifically the involvement of astrocyte-secreted thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) deficits in spine and synaptic pathology in DS.
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