Hubel and Wiesel began the modern study of development and plasticity of primary visual
cortex (V1), discovering response properties of cortical neurons that distinguished them from …

Patterns of synaptic connections in the visual system are remarkably precise. These
connections dictate the receptive field properties of individual visual neurons and ultimately …

The cerebral cortex of large mammals undergoes massive surface area expansion and
folding during development. Specific mechanisms to orchestrate the growth of the cortex in …

In many regions of the developing brain, neuronal circuits undergo defined phases of
enhanced plasticity, termed critical periods. Work in the rodent visual cortex has led to …

Recent studies have made progress in characterizing the determinants of critical periods for
experience-dependent plasticity. They highlight the role of neurotrophins, NMDA receptors …

Cortical neuromodulatory transmitter systems refer to those classical neurotransmitters such
as acetylcholine and monoamines, which share a number of common features. For instance …

Environmental enrichment (EE) is known to profoundly affect the central nervous system
(CNS) at the functional, anatomical and molecular level, both during the critical period and …

During a critical period of brain development, occluding the vision of one eye causes a rapid
remodeling of the visual cortex and its inputs. Sleep has been linked to other processes …

The acquisition of new skills over a life span is a remarkable human ability. This ability,
however, is constrained by age of acquisition (AoA); that is, the age at which learning occurs …

Postnatal brain development is studded with sensitive periods during which experience
dependent plasticity is enhanced. This enables rapid learning from environmental inputs …