Wired for Change: Neurotransmitter Plasticity and Circuit Dynamics in Health and Disease
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 639
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We invite submissions to the Special Issue Wired for Change: Neurotransmitter Plasticity and Circuit Dynamics in Health and Disease, which will explore how dynamic changes in neurotransmitter identity, signaling, and balance shape neural circuit function and behavior. Neurotransmitter plasticity—including phenotype switching, co-release, and re-specification—plays a critical role in adapting brain function to environmental and developmental stages. Disruptions in these processes can contribute to a wide range of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
This Issue welcomes original research and reviews that examine how neurotransmitter dynamics regulate normal behavior or contribute to the etiology of brain diseases such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and neurodegeneration. We are especially interested in studies using innovative molecular, circuit-level, and translational approaches—including imaging, opto/chemogenetics, single-cell transcriptomics, and disease modeling.
Our goal is to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and highlight mechanisms by which neurotransmitter flexibility influences behavior and mental health.
We look forward to your contributions.
Dr. Alessandra Porcu
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
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Keywords
- neurotransmitter
- behavioral neuroscience
- neuropsychiatric disorders
- neurological disorders
- neuroplasticity
- neuronal circuit
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