Neural Plasticity—
Plasticity in Neurogenetic Disorders
Call for Papers
Over the next few decades, the study of neurogenetic disorders will continue to expand our knowledge of the development and function of the nervous system. The greatest challenges in the field of neurogenetic disorders will not be in the identification of disease-associated genes, but will rather be in defining the molecular mechanisms by which the genetic mutations confer disease risk and phenotype. Neural plasticity is a dynamic nervous system process that orchestrates structural and functional alterations in response to experience. The study of neural plasticity provides a basic and powerful approach for unraveling the complexities of the nervous system. Investigation of plastic changes in neurogenetic disorders will shed light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the formation and function of the nervous system. It may also lead to the discovery of potential therapeutic targets for pathological conditions, such as mental retardation, neurodegeneration, epilepsy, autism, and other neurological disorders.

This special issue will focus on the most recent developments and ideas in the study of neural plasticity in neurogenetic disorders, with a tentative emphasis on neurodevelopmental disorders, such as fragile X syndrome and Rett syndrome. We invite investigators to contribute original articles, as well as review articles, that will showcase current efforts in the field of neurogenetic disorders. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Structural and functional neural plasticity in patients and animal models of neurogenetic disorders
Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying plastic changes in neurogenetic disorders
Neural and behavioral responses to potential therapeutic strategies involving neural plasticity for neurogenetic disorders
Genetic manipulation of neural plasticity in animal models and its translational relevance to human neurogenetic disorders
Basic and preclinical studies aimed at understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying plastic alterations in nervous system disorders
Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/np/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:

Manuscript Due September 1, 2011
First Round of Reviews December 1, 2011
Publication Date March 1, 2012

Lead Guest Editor
Hansen Wang, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8
Guest Editors
Laurie Doering, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, HSC 1R1, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1
Emma Frost, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, 750 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3E 0T5
Cara J. Westmark, Waisman Center for Developmental Disabilities, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA