Recent studies suggest that members of the cadherin family of homophilic cell adhesion molecules play an important role in the formation and stabilization of the complex neural circuitry of the brain.

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) plays an important role in nervous system development. NCAM forms a complex between its terminal domains Ig1 and Ig2. When NCAM of cell A and of cell B connect to each other through complexes Ig12(A)/Ig12(B), the relative mobility of cells A and B and membrane tension exerts a force on the Ig12(A)/Ig12(B) complex. In this study, we investigated the respo...

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is a cell recognition molecule of the Ig superfamily implicated in cell migration, myelination, and synaptic plasticity, as well as elongation, fasciculation, and pathfinding of axons. Here, we used NCAM-deficient mice to investigate the role of NCAM in the development of the corticospinal tract. We demonstrate severe hypoplasia of the corticospinal trac...

Previously, we reviewed the evidence for the efficacy of CAM approaches for pediatric pain (volume 2; issue 2; 2005) using criteria developed by the American Psychological Association Division 12 Task Force. Our review focused on CAM modalities that had been tested with at least one controlled trial or multiple baseline study. In addition, only those trials in which children comprised the study...

Altered synaptic morphology, progressive loss of synapses and glial (astrocyte and microglial) cell activation are considered as characteristic hallmarks of aging. Recent evidence suggests that there is a concomitant age-related decrease in expression of the presynaptic protein, synaptophysin, and the neuronal glycoprotein CD200, which, by interacting with its receptor, plays a role in maintain...