Hormones and neural development

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Steroids and other hormones act on the nervous systems throughout life to alter the growth and function of neural circuits. In some cases, hormones are responsible for major organization or re-organization of these circuits. This special issue is a series of invited reviews that summarize recent advances in research using diverse vertebrate and invertebrate model systems. The reviews focus on the functional role of steroid hormones that are synthesized de novo in neural tissue, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of steroid hormone action, the mechanisms by which hormones induce and regulate plastic changes in the nervous system at various life stages, the environmental regulation of hormonal action, the mechanisms of sexual differentiation, and steroidal modulation of adult behavior. The diversity of neural systems employed in these studies underscores the important perspectives that come from the investigation of both mammalian and non-mammalian model systems. The issue will serve as an important reference for anyone interested in hormonal regulation of neural and behavioral development.