Dendritic spine and synapse morphological alterations induced by a neural cell adhesion molecule mimetic

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is a membrane-associated glycoprotein expressed on the surface of neurons and glial cells and is also a member of the immunoglobin (Ig) superfamily. It promotes synaptogenesis, enhances presynaptic function, and facilitates synaptic plasticity in relation to learning and memory consolidation. This short review will focus on evidence of the role of NCAMs in synaptic plasticity and learning, and the ability of an NCAM mimetic to influence morphological changes in dendritic spines and synapses