▪ Abstract Despite considerable evidence that neuronal activity influences the organization
and function of circuits in the developing and adult brain, the molecular signals that translate …

It is widely accepted that neuronal activity plays a pivotal role in synaptic plasticity.
Neurotrophins have emerged recently as potent factors for synaptic modulation. The …

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neuronal survival and
growth, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in neuronal plasticity …

Maturation of the visual cortex is influenced by visual experience during an early postnatal
period. The factors that regulate such a critical period remain unclear. We examined the …

A signaling pathway by which calcium influx regulates the expression of the major activity-
dependent transcript of BDNF in cortical neurons has been elucidated. Deletion and …

Recently, we have identified a novel form of synaptic plasticity that acts to stabilize
neocortical firing rates by scaling the quantal amplitude of AMPA-mediated synaptic inputs …

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) attracts increasing attention from both research
and clinical fields because of its important functions in the central nervous system. An …

Environmental enrichment (EE) was shown recently to accelerate brain development in
rodents. Increased levels of maternal care, and particularly tactile stimulation through licking …

The mechanisms underlying the subcellular localization of neurotrophins and their receptors
are poorly understood. We show that in cultured hippocampal neurons, the mRNAs for …

Visual system circuitry, a canonical model system for the study of experience-dependent
development, matures before and following the onset of vision. Sensory experience or …