Program in Neuroscience and Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, 237 Biomedical Research Facility, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4340, USA. levenson@neuro.fsu.edu
Recent work has shown that zinc is involved in the developmental regulation of neurotrophins and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, controlling use of glutamate as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). This is particularly important in the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in learning and memory, and is an intriguing link to the role of zinc in neuropsychological development.