Investigations involving incisive mechanistic dissection of various types of synaptic plasticity have revealed that it plays key roles in neural development, sensory information processing, cortical remapping following brain injury, perception, and behavioral learning and memory. Disruptions of synaptic plasticity may underlie neurological and behavioral disorders such as Alzheimer disease, Fragile-X syndrome, autism, and drug addiction. Multidisciplinary Tools for Investigating Synaptic Plasticity, therefore, assembles expert contributions that highlight techniques and strategies used in probing the cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in the nervous systems of vertebrate and invertebrate species. Divided into three sections, this meticulous volume describes biochemical and genetic strategies for studying synaptic plasticity, behavior, neural development, and synaptogenesis, and also includes cellular electrophysiological and optical methods for interrogating a diverse array of mechanistic issues. As part of the Neuromethods series, this book contains the kind of detail and key implementation advice that maximizes successful results.

Authoritative and invaluable, Multidisciplinary Tools for Investigating Synaptic Plasticity serves as an ideal primer for introducing researchers to specific techniques that will enhance their success at addressing novel questions in synaptic plasticity at the lab bench.