title: Stress, cognitive impairment and cell adhesion molecules.
abstract: Stress has profound effects on brain structure and function, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Recent studies imply that neuronal cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily--NCAM and L1--are important mediators of the effects of stress on the brain. Chronic stress regimes that lead to hippocampal atrophy and spatial-learning impairment in rodents simultaneously induce a pattern of changes in cell adhesion molecule expression that fits with a role for these molecules in stress-induced neuronal damage and neuroprotective mechanisms. These findings highlight cell adhesion molecules as potential therapeutic targets to treat stress-related cognitive disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. carmen.sandi@epfl.ch
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sandi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005938:Glucocorticoids