Acta Scientific Neurology (ASNE) (ISSN: 2582-1121)

Review Article Volume 3 Issue 3

Interpreting Neural Morphology

Chaim Gilon*

Institute of Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

*Corresponding Author: Chaim Gilon, Institute of Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.

Received: January 12, 2020; Published: February 24, 2020

×

Abstract

From the time of Cajal, histologists, have attempted to understand how neurons encode memory. Cajal identified synaptic connections between neurons which Hebb conceptualized as “synaptic plasticity”, processes related to recall. But aside from synaptic connectivity, they did not consider the “meaning” of the neuron’s extended shape.

 

The neuron has a very large surface area with branching dendrites exposing surface spines that permit intimate exposure to the surroundings. Golgi perceived a perineural net (PNN) around the neuron, which Cajal dismissed as a “staining artifact”. Subsequent work established the presence of a web of glycosamino-glycans and proteins around the neurons, termed extracellular matrix (nECM).

 

Recognizing that neural morphology and its interactions with its surroundings have functional relevance, we have proposed a tripartite mechanism of neural memory. It involves the chemical encoding of cognitive units of information (cuin fo), based on the interactions of three physiologic compartments, namely: 

  • Neurons – cells with large surface area, extended arborized shape with many dendrites.
  • Extracellular matrix (nECM)- a static hydrogel, surrounding neurons.
  • Dopants (trace metal cations and neurotransmitters (NTs)) – diffusible molecules which form metal-centered complexes within the nECM. The NTs are the molecular correlates of emotive states.

 

Thus, the nECM is not irrelevant but critical to the functioning of the arborized neuron. In conjunction with morphologic considerations, the tripartite mechanism permits one to construct a physiologically credible account for the encoding of neural memory. 

Keywords: Neural Shape; Dendrites; Neurotransmitters; Neural Code; Trace Metals

×

References

  1. Jones EG. “Cajal's debt to Golgi”. Brain Research Reviews 66.1-2 (2011): 83-91. 
  2. Spreafico R., et al. “The perineuronal net: a weapon for a challenge”. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences 8 (2003): 179-185. 
  3. Squire L and Kandel E. “Memory: From Mind to Molecules”. 2nd ed. Roberts and Company Publishers, New York (2008). 
  4. Yuste R and Bonhoeffer T. “Morphological changes in dendritic spines associated with long-term synaptic plasticity”. Annual Review of Neuroscience 24 (2001): 1071-1089. 
  5. Kandel ER., et al. “The molecular and systems biology of memory”. Cell 157 (2014): 163-186.
  6. Dityatev A., et al. “Compartmentalization from the      outside: the extracellular matrix and functional microdomains in the brain”. Trends in Neurosciences 33 (2010): 503-513. 
  7. Barros CS., et al. “Extracellular Matrix: Functions in the nervous system”. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology 3 (2011): a005108.
  8. Padideh KZ and Nicholson C. “Brain extracellular space: Geometry, matrix and physiological importance”. Basic Clinical Neuroscience 4 (2013): 282-285. 
  9. Vizi ES., et al. “Non-synaptic receptors and transporters involved in brain functions and targets of drug treatment”. British Journal Pharmacology 160 (2010): 785-809.
  10. Vizi ES. “Role of high-affinity receptors and membrane transporters in non-synaptic communication and drug action in the central nervous system”. Pharmacology Reviews 52 (2013): 63-89.
  11. Arshavsky YI. “The seven “sins’’ of the Hebbian synapse: Can the hypothesis of synaptic plasticity explain long-term memory consolidation?” Progress in Neurobiology 80 (2006): 99-113.
  12. Koch C and Segev I. “The role of single neurons in information processing”. Nature Neuroscience 3 (2000): 1171-1179. 
  13. Deepa S., et al. “Composition of perineuronal net extracellular matrix in rat brain. A different disaccharide composition for the net-associated proteoglycans”. Journal of Biological Chemistry 281 (2006): 17789-17800. 
  14. Marx G and Gilon C. “The molecular basis of memory”. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 3 (2012): 633-642. 
  15. Marx G and Gilon C. “The molecular basis of neural memory. MBM Pt 7: Artificial intelligence (AI) versus neural intelligence (NI)”. AIMS Medical Science 4 (2017): 254-273. 
  16. Marx G and Gilon C. “The molecular basis of neural memory. Part 10. The sins and redemption of neurobiology”. Journal of Neurology and Neurocritical Care 1 (2018): 1-7.
  17. Matsuzak M. “Factors critical for the plasticity of dendritic spines and memory storage”. Neuroscience Research 57 (2007): 1-9. 
  18. Kasai H., et al. “Structural dynamics of dendritic spines in memory and cognition”. Trends in Neurosciences 33 (2010): 121-129. 
  19. Vetere G., et al. “Spine growth in the anterior cingulate cortex is necessary for the consolidation of contextual fear memory”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108 (2011): 8456-8460.
  20. Wilson CJ., et al. “Measurement of neuronal surface area using high-voltage electron microscope tomography”. NeuroImage 1 (1992): 11-22. 
  21. Vyvyan HC., et al. “Measurement of total neuronal volume, surface area, and dendritic length following intracellular physiologicalrecording”. Neuroprotocols 2 (1993): 113-120. 
  22. Südhof TC. “Neurotransmitter release: the last millisecond in the life of a synaptic vesicle”. Neuron 80 (2013): 675-690. 
  23. Cajal RY. “Cajal's Histology of the Nervous System of Man and Vertebrates”. Oxford University Press London (1995).
  24. DeFelipe J. “Cajal’s Neuronal Forest”. Oxford University Press, London (2018).
  25. Gogolla N., et al. “Perineuronalnets protect fear memories from erasure”. Science 325 (2009):1258-1261.
  26. Jefferys JGR. “Nonsynaptic modulation of neuronal activity in the brain:Electric currents and extracellular ions”. Physiological Reviews 75 (1995): 689-723.
×

Citation

Citation: Chaim Gilon. “Interpreting Neural Morphology". Relationship Between Both Values”. Acta Scientific Neurology 3.3 (2020): 05-08.




Metrics

Acceptance rate32%
Acceptance to publication20-30 days

Indexed In




News and Events


  • Certification for Review
    Acta Scientific certifies the Editors/reviewers for their review done towards the assigned articles of the respective journals.
  • Submission Timeline for Upcoming Issue
    The last date for submission of articles for regular Issues is November 25, 2024.
  • Publication Certificate
    Authors will be issued a "Publication Certificate" as a mark of appreciation for publishing their work.
  • Best Article of the Issue
    The Editors will elect one Best Article after each issue release. The authors of this article will be provided with a certificate of "Best Article of the Issue"
  • Welcoming Article Submission
    Acta Scientific delightfully welcomes active researchers for submission of articles towards the upcoming issue of respective journals.

Contact US