It is important to note that a given gene may affect intelligence through multiple causal routes during brain development, post-natal brain function at the synapse, or metabolically.
Recently, miRNAs have been shown to display developmentally and activity-regulated expression patterns in the brain and at the synapse (Kye et al., 2011; Lugli et al., 2008; Miska et al., 2004), suggesting underlying functions in nervous system development and synaptic plasticity.
The long chain omega-3 fatty acids are concentrated in the phospholipid membrane of the brain, particularly at the synapses [ 56], and brains of AD patients have lower DHA.
Although we did not directly prove that the microglia are mechanistically involved, these current results point to an activation of this inflammatory cascade in the fetal brain at the moment the synapse loss is present [ 25].
5) Finally, miRNAs are not only required during development but are essential to maintain function of the adult brain, e.g. at the synapse [51].
This approach will allow detailed analysis of human brain at the level of individual synapses and assessment of numerous proteins (pathological or physiological) at these synapses.
Pioneers in neuroeconomics believe the key to understanding economic behavior lies deep in the brain, at the level of cells and synapses.
Using a laser, they triggered a burst of glutamate, a brain chemical, into the synapse.
Considering that the majority of energy is consumed in the resting – but awake – brain at glutamatergic synapses, EEG signals represent synchronous activity of glutamatergic synapses, and fluctuations in ovarian steroid hormones determine energy expenditure and food intake in women, we assumed that the frequency of ongoing alpha oscillations is related to the level of estradiol or progesterone.
As such, there is a need to examine CNS synapses in the intact brain, at the level of light microscopy in a system with sufficient complexity to reflect features of the CNS, but tractable enough to dissect connectivity and function using genetic tools.
