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Review
. 2018 Jan:35:E014.
doi: 10.1017/S0952523817000219.

Critical periods in amblyopia

Takao K Hensch  1 , Elizabeth M Quinlan  2
Affiliations
Review

Critical periods in amblyopia

Takao K Hensch et al. Vis Neurosci. 2018 Jan.

Erratum in

Abstract

The shift in ocular dominance (OD) of binocular neurons induced by monocular deprivation is the canonical model of synaptic plasticity confined to a postnatal critical period. Developmental constraints on this plasticity not only lend stability to the mature visual cortical circuitry but also impede the ability to recover from amblyopia beyond an early window. Advances with mouse models utilizing the power of molecular, genetic, and imaging tools are beginning to unravel the circuit, cellular, and molecular mechanisms controlling the onset and closure of the critical periods of plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1). Emerging evidence suggests that mechanisms enabling plasticity in juveniles are not simply lost with age but rather that plasticity is actively constrained by the developmental up-regulation of molecular 'brakes'. Lifting these brakes enhances plasticity in the adult visual cortex, and can be harnessed to promote recovery from amblyopia. The reactivation of plasticity by experimental manipulations has revised the idea that robust OD plasticity is limited to early postnatal development. Here, we discuss recent insights into the neurobiology of the initiation and termination of critical periods and how our increasingly mechanistic understanding of these processes can be leveraged toward improved clinical treatment of adult amblyopia.

Keywords: Acetylcholine; Dark exposure; GABA; HDAC; PSD-95; Parvalbumin; Perineuronal net.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Critical period plasticity as a function of age. Initially, immature brain circuits are dominated by excitatory inputs and fail to express plasticity. As inhibitory circuits mature, a highly plastic critical period is induced. Plasticity then declines with age as inhibitory circuits and brake-like factors dominate, harboring the potential for plasticity throughout life. Dynamic changes in the excitatory/inhibitory balance across age are shown below the graph. Figure courtesy of Takao Hensch (Harvard University).
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Pathways known to enhance plasticity in the adult visual cortex.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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