Re-opening Windows: Manipulating Critical Periods for Brain Development

Takao K Hensch, Parizad M Bilimoria, Takao K Hensch, Parizad M Bilimoria

Abstract

The brain acquires certain skills-from visual perception to language-during critical windows, specific times in early life when the brain is actively shaped by environmental input. Scientists like Takao K. Hensch are now discovering pathways in animal models through which these windows might be re-opened in adults, thus re-awakening a brain's youth-like plasticity. Such research has implications for brain injury repair, sensory recovery, and neurodevelopmental disorder treatment. In addition, what we know today about these critical windows of development already has enormous implications for social and educational policy.

Figures

Fig 1:
Fig 1:
Windows of Plasticity in Brain Development Windows of heightened plasticity in brain development are called critical or sensitive periods. In humans, there are sensitive periods for the development of sensory pathways (vision, hearing), language, and higher cognitive function, as well as many other brain functions. Note that the peak of plasticity for each sensitive period is staggered throughout development., ,
Fig 2:
Fig 2:
Consequences of manipulating critical period plasticity The developing brain exhibits higher plasticity than the adult brain. During normal development, critical periods occur in a predictable temporal sequence, as depicted here with examples of vision, language, and higher cognitive function.

  1. Following genetic disruption or pharmacological manipulation, certain critical periods may be accelerated or delayed. Critical periods might then become incorrectly synchronized or uncoupled from one another across the brain. Alternatively, the extended duration of one critical period may stall the onset of others. Interventions that restore the expected hierarchical progression of critical periods during brain development may then be useful in preempting mental illness.

  2. In cases of stroke or other brain injuries suffered during adulthood, the main obstacle to treatment is believed to be the limited plasticity of the adult brain. Thus, a tantalizing treatment strategy would be to rekindle critical period plasticity in the damaged circuits.

  3. The ability to tap into critical period plasticity during adulthood, likely through non-invasive means (such as incremental training, enriched environments, or educational video games), could also enhance the potential for lifelong learning.

Fig 3:
Fig 3:
Factors that affect critical period timing Diverse experimental manipulations—ranging from biochemical, genetic, and surgical interventions to environmental changes or electrical stimulation—are known to induce juvenile-like plasticity in the adult visual cortex. These manipulations are all thought to trigger plasticity via a common circuit mechanism: adjusting the balance of excitation/inhibition (E/I balance) in the brain.

References

    1. Hutchinson E. Neuroplasticity: Functional recovery after stroke. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2011;12(1):4.
    1. Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Borden WB, Turner MB. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2012 update: A report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2012;125(1):e2–e220.
    1. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Aphasia information page. 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2012, from .
    1. Hensch TK. Critical period plasticity in local cortical circuits. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2005;6(11):877–888.
    1. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child The timing and quality of early experiences combine to shape brain architecture: Working paper #5. 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2012, from .
    1. Shonkoff JP, Phillips DA, editors. From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2000.
    1. Hensch TK. Critical period regulation. Annual Review of Neuroscience. 2004;27:549–579.
    1. Wiesel TN. Postnatal development of the visual cortex and the influence of environment. Nature. 1982;299(5884):583–591.
    1. Bavelier D, Levi DM, Li RW, Dan Y, Hensch TK. Removing brakes on adult brain plasticity: From molecular to behavioral interventions. Journal of Neuroscience. 2010;30(45):14964–14971.
    1. Hensch TK, Fagiolini M, Mataga N, Stryker MP, Baekkeskov S, Kash SF. Local GABA circuit control of experience-dependent plasticity in developing visual cortex. Science. 1998;282(5393):1504–1508.
    1. Fagiolini M, Hensch TK. Inhibitory threshold for critical-period activation in primary visual cortex. Nature. 2000;404(6774):183–186.
    1. Fagiolini M, Fritschy JM, Low K, Mohler H, Rudolph U, Hensch TK. Specific GABAA circuits for visual cortical plasticity. Science. 2004;303(5664):1681–1683.
    1. Southwell DG, Froemke RC, Alvarez-Buylla A, Stryker MP, Gandhi SP. Cortical plasticity induced by inhibitory neuron transplantation. Science. 2010;327(5969):1145–1148.
    1. Klausberger T, Roberts JD, Somogyi P. Cell type- and input-specific differences in the number and subtypes of synaptic GABA(A) receptors in the hippocampus. Journal of Neuroscience. 2002;22(7):2513–2521.
    1. Gogolla N, Leblanc JJ, Quast KB, Sudhof TC, Fagiolini M, Hensch TK. Common circuit defect of excitatory-inhibitory balance in mouse models of autism. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 2009;1(2):172–181.
    1. Insel TR. Rethinking schizophrenia. Nature. 2010;468(7321):187–193.
    1. LeBlanc JJ, Fagiolini M. Autism: A “critical period” disorder? Neural Plasticity, 2011 2011
    1. Yizhar O, Fenno LE, Prigge M, Schneider F, Davidson TJ, O’Shea DJ, Deisseroth K. Neocortical excitation/inhibition balance in information processing and social dysfunction. Nature. 2011;477(7363):171–178.
    1. Maya Vetencourt JF, Sale A, Viegi A, Baroncelli L, De Pasquale R, O’Leary OF, Maffei L. The antidepressant fluoxetine restores plasticity in the adult visual cortex. Science. 2008;320(5874):385–388.
    1. HermoPharma First patients completed the amblyopia phase 2a study. 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012, from .
    1. Maurer D, Hensch TK. Amblyopia: Background to the special issue on stroke recovery. Developmental Psychobiology. 2012;54(3):224–238.
    1. Chollet F, Tardy J, Albucher JF, Thalamas C, Berard E, Lamy C, Loubinoux I. Fluoxetine for motor recovery after acute ischaemic stroke (FLAME): A randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurology. 2011;10(2):123–130.
    1. Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Doraiswamy PM, Watkins L, Hoffman BM, Barbour KA, Sherwood A. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2007;69(7):587–596.
    1. Sale A, Maya Vetencourt JF, Medini P, Cenni MC, Baroncelli L, De Pasquale R, Maffei L. Environmental enrichment in adulthood promotes amblyopia recovery through a reduction of intracortical inhibition. Nature Neuroscience. 2007;10(6):679–681.
    1. Spolidoro M, Baroncelli L, Putignano E, Maya-Vetencourt JF, Viegi A, Maffei L. Food restriction enhances visual cortex plasticity in adulthood. Nature Communications. 2011;2:320.
    1. Thompson B, Mansouri B, Koski L, Hess RF. Brain plasticity in the adult: Modulation of function in amblyopia with rTMS. Current Biology. 2008;18(14):1067–1071.
    1. Linkenhoker BA, Knudsen EI. Incremental training increases the plasticity of the auditory space map in adult barn owls. Nature. 2002;419(6904):293–296.
    1. Li RW, Ngo C, Nguyen J, Levi DM. Video-game play induces plasticity in the visual system of adults with amblyopia. PLoS Biology. 2011;9(8):e1001135.
    1. Huang ZJ, Kirkwood A, Pizzorusso T, Porciatti V, Morales B, Bear MF, Tonegawa S. BDNF regulates the maturation of inhibition and the critical period of plasticity in mouse visual cortex. Cell. 1999;98(6):739–755.
    1. Fagiolini M, Pizzorusso T, Berardi N, Domenici L, Maffei L. Functional postnatal development of the rat primary visual cortex and the role of visual experience: Dark rearing and monocular deprivation. Vision Research. 1994;34(6):709–720.
    1. Gianfranceschi L, Siciliano R, Walls J, Morales B, Kirkwood A, Huang ZJ, Maffei L. Visual cortex is rescued from the effects of dark rearing by overexpression of BDNF. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2003;100(21):12486–12491.
    1. Pizzorusso T, Medini P, Berardi N, Chierzi S, Fawcett JW, Maffei L. Reactivation of ocular dominance plasticity in the adult visual cortex. Science. 2002;298(5596):1248–1251.
    1. Gogolla N, Caroni P, Luthi A, Herry C. Perineuronal nets protect fear memories from erasure. Science. 2009;325(5945):1258–1261.
    1. McGee AW, Yang Y, Fischer QS, Daw NW, Strittmatter SM. Experience-driven plasticity of visual cortex limited by myelin and Nogo receptor. Science. 2005;309(5744):2222–2226.
    1. Datwani A, McConnell MJ, Kanold PO, Micheva KD, Busse B, Shamloo M, Shatz CJ. Classical MHCI molecules regulate retinogeniculate refinement and limit ocular dominance plasticity. Neuron. 2009;64(4):463–470.
    1. Morishita H, Miwa JM, Heintz N, Hensch TK. Lynx1, a cholinergic brake, limits plasticity in adult visual cortex. Science. 2010;330(6008):1238–1240.
    1. Munoz-Torrero D. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors as disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Current Medicinal Chemistry. 2008;15(24):2433–2455.
    1. Donepezil as treatment for residual amblyopia. 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012, from .
    1. Clarkson AN, Huang BS, Macisaac SE, Mody I, Carmichael ST. Reducing excessive GABA-mediated tonic inhibition promotes functional recovery after stroke. Nature. 2010;468(7321):305–309.
    1. Shonkoff JP, Boyce WT, McEwen BS. Neuroscience, molecular biology, and the childhood roots of health disparities: Building a new framework for health promotion and disease prevention. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2009;301(21):2252–2259.
    1. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University Toxic stress: The facts. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from
    1. Matsumoto M, Yoshioka M, Togashi H. Early postnatal stress and neural circuit underlying emotional regulation. International Review of Neurobiology. 2009;85:95–107.
    1. McGowan PO, Sasaki A, D’Alessio AC, Dymov S, Labonte B, Szyf M, Meaney MJ. Epigenetic regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor in human brain associates with childhood abuse. Nature Neuroscience. 2009;12(3):342–348.
    1. Drury SS, Theall K, Gleason MM, Smyke AT, De Vivo I, Wong JY, Nelson CA. Telomere length and early severe social deprivation: Linking early adversity and cellular aging. Molecular Psychiatry 2011
    1. Pechtel P, Pizzagalli DA. Effects of early life stress on cognitive and affective function: An integrated review of human literature. Psychopharmacology. 2011;214(1):55–70.
    1. Shonkoff JP, Bales SN. Science does not speak for itself: Translating child development research for the public and its policymakers. Child Development. 2011;82(1):17–32.
    1. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child Excessive stress disrupts the architecture of the developing brain: Working paper #3. 2005. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from .

Source: PubMed

Sponsoren und Mitarbeiter

Krankheiten

Drogeninterventionen

3
Abonnieren