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Article
Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity at the Neuromuscular Junction in Myasthenia Gravis
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
  • Xueyong Wang, Wright State University - Main Campus
  • Mark M. Rich, Wright State University - Main Campus
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2018
Abstract

A number of studies in the past 20 years have shown that perturbation of activity of the nervous system leads to compensatory changes in synaptic strength that serve to return network activity to its original level. This response has been termed homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Despite the intense interest in homeostatic synaptic plasticity, little attention has been paid to its role in the prototypic synaptic disease, myasthenia gravis. In this review, we discuss mechanisms that have been shown to mediate homeostatic synaptic plasticity at the mammalian neuromuscular junction. A subset of these mechanisms have been shown to occur in myasthenia gravis. The homeostatic changes occurring inmyasthenia gravis appear to involve the presynaptic nerve terminal andmay even involve changes in the excitability of motor neurons within the spinal cord. The finding of presynaptic homeostatic synaptic plasticity in myasthenia gravis leads us to propose that changes in the motor unit in myasthenia gravis may be more widespread than previously appreciated.

DOI
10.1111/nyas.13472
Citation Information
Xueyong Wang and Mark M. Rich. "Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity at the Neuromuscular Junction in Myasthenia Gravis" Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1412 Iss. 1 (2018) p. 170 - 177 ISSN: 00778923
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mark_rich/84/