Dendritic mechanisms in mental retardation and developmental disabilities: An overview

The following brief articles are derived from a meeting sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development held at the National Institutes of Health from April 30 to May 1, 1998. The meeting brought together researchers from neurobiological and behavioral fields to discuss how synaptic abnormalities impact on brain function. This builds on a broad foundation of research in synaptic development, brain organization, behavioral assessment, and more recent attempts to define the structural basis of learning, memory, and cognition. Over the last 2 decades, researchers have described dendritic abnormalities associated with Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, autism, and other brain disorders. It is hoped that consideration of developmental disorders in the context of dendritic abnormalities will improve our understanding of the underlying deficits and enhance therapeutic strategies.