Davis MF, Figueroa Velez DX, Guevarra RP, Yang MC, Habeeb M, Carathedathu MC, Gandhi SP. Inhibitory Neuron Transplantation into Adult Visual Cortex Creates a New Critical Period that Rescues Impaired Vision.
Neuron 2015;
86:1055-1066. [PMID:
25937171 DOI:
10.1016/j.neuron.2015.03.062]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The maturation of inhibitory circuits in juvenile visual cortex triggers a critical period in the development of the visual system. Although several manipulations of inhibition can alter the timing of the critical period, none have demonstrated the creation of a new critical period in adulthood. We developed a transplantation method to reactivate critical period plasticity in the adult visual cortex. Transplanted embryonic inhibitory neurons from the medial ganglionic eminence reinstate ocular dominance plasticity in adult recipients. Transplanted inhibitory cells develop cell-type-appropriate molecular characteristics and visually evoked responses. In adult mice impaired by deprivation during the juvenile critical period, transplantation also recovers both visual cortical responses and performance on a behavioral test of visual acuity. Plasticity and recovery are induced when the critical period would have occurred in the donor animal. These results reveal that the focal reactivation of visual cortical plasticity using inhibitory cell transplantation creates a new critical period that restores visual perception after childhood deprivation.
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