Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

74.6K
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
74.6K
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

119.4K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
119.4K
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

1.3K
Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability...
1.3K
Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

614
Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
614
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

9.5K
When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...
9.5K
Classification of Neurotransmitters01:30

Classification of Neurotransmitters

2.4K
Neurotransmitters play a crucial role in the communication between neurons in the autonomic nervous system. Neurons in the autonomic nervous system can be cholinergic or adrenergic depending on the neurotransmitters synthesized. Cholinergic neurons use acetylcholine as their primary neurotransmitter. This includes all the preganglionic fibers of the sympathetic and pre- and postganglionic fibers of the parasympathetic nervous systems. In addition, neurons of the somatic nervous system also use...
2.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cannabinoid use generalizes stress responses: involvement of astrocyte plasticity and activation of matrix metalloproteinases in the nucleus accumbens core.

Molecular psychiatry·2026
Same author

Activation of Insula-Accumbal Projection Neurons Is Required for Relapse-Like Behaviour Following Opioid Self-Administration.

Addiction biology·2026
Same author

Pharmacologically increasing O-GlcNAcylation increases complexity of astrocytes in the dentate gyrus of TgF344-AD rats.

Frontiers in aging neuroscience·2026
Same author

Cortical astrocytes flexibly encode reward contingencies and shape conditioned behavior.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Cannabis-enriched oral <i>Actinomyces</i> induces anxiety-like behavior via impairing mitochondria and GABA signaling.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

The Top-Down of Prefrontal Cortex to the Hippocampus Glutamatergic Pathway Regulates Reward Memory of Methamphetamine.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025
Same journal

Sparse component analysis: A method that uncovers separable computations within neural population activity.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Spatiomolecular mapping reveals anatomical organization of heterogeneous cell types in the human nucleus accumbens.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

TGF-β1-induced endothelial transcytosis drives blood-brain barrier leakage during aging.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Image space opens up for visual neuroscience.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Septal GLP-1 receptors control alcohol taking and seeking.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Microglial fitness in moderation: Tuning TREM2 signaling through Ptpn6.

Neuron·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2025

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

11.4K

Nonneuronal contributions to synaptic function.

Ritchy Hodebourg1, Michael D Scofield2, Peter W Kalivas3

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.

Neuron
|May 1, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Environmental stimuli influence synaptic plasticity and function, impacting neuropsychiatric disorders. This review explores how perisynaptic cells regulate synaptic signaling, proposing models for drug-induced dysfunction and future research directions.

Keywords:
addictionastrogliaextracellular matrixmicrogliaoligodendrocytesynapse

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology
10:52

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology

Published on: April 23, 2019

12.8K
Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient
08:30

Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient

Published on: September 17, 2011

31.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2025

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

11.4K
Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology
10:52

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology

Published on: April 23, 2019

12.8K
Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient
08:30

Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient

Published on: September 17, 2011

31.4K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Neuropharmacology

Background:

  • Synapses are complex signaling hubs involving neurons, glia, and extracellular matrix.
  • Synaptic signaling is crucial for brain function and is often impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders.
  • Environmental factors significantly shape synaptic signaling and plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how environmental stimuli affect synaptic signaling and plasticity.
  • To propose models integrating cell-type-specific regulation of synaptic function and dysfunction.
  • To identify technological needs for advancing the study of perisynaptic ecosystems.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing data.
  • Development of working models for perisynaptic regulation of synaptic plasticity.
  • Identification of research gaps and future technological needs.

Main Results:

  • Environmental stimuli dynamically regulate signaling and plasticity within synapses.
  • Perisynaptic cell types (glia, extracellular matrix) play critical roles in modulating synaptic function.
  • Addictive drugs can disrupt synaptic plasticity through mechanisms involving perisynaptic components.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the interplay of perisynaptic cells is key to comprehending synaptic plasticity.
  • New technologies are required to fully elucidate signaling within perisynaptic ecosystems.
  • Targeting perisynaptic signaling pathways may offer therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders.