The role of cell adhesion molecules in brain wiring and neuropsychiatric disorders

•Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) important for brain wiring.•CAMs in the nervous system implicated in psychiatric disorders.•Potential mechanisms of involvement of CAMs in the disorders.

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in the nervous system have long been a research focus, but many mice lacking CAMs show very subtle phenotypes, giving an impression that CAMs may not be major players in constructing the nervous system. However, recent human genetic studies suggest CAM involvement in many neuropsychiatric disorders, implicating that they must have significant functions in nervous system development, namely in circuitry formation. As CAMs can provide specificity through their molecular interactions, this review summarizes possible mechanisms on how alterations of CAMs can result in neuropsychiatric disorders through circuitry modification.