Aluminium (Al) is the third most abundant metal in the earth’s crust and it
has long been associated with the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders.
Recently, vast use of this metal in various industries and its elevated leaching from
earth reservoirs, due to acid rain, has greatly increased human exposure to this metal.
Due to the controversial nature of Al effects on the nervous system, it is important to
thoroughly understand the effects of Al on neurological functions. This chapter is
focused on understanding the effects of Al on the electrophysiological properties of
neurons. The emphasis is on the effects of Al on synaptic plasticity, which is an
important underlying mechanism in learning and memory, and voltage-gated ion
channels. The evidence indicates that Al affects Long term potentiation (LTP), the
most widely studied form of synaptic plasticity, via its effects on various signaling
pathways.
Keywords: Aluminium, AMPA Receptor, Electrophysiological Variation, LTP,
LTD, Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors, NMDA Receptor, Voltage-Gated
Channel, Voltage dependent Calcium Channel, Neurotoxicity.
