Cortical plasticity

Cross-modal recruitment of visual cortical areas by auditory and somatosensory stimulation have often been reported in early blind humans. However, lower resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between visual and somatosensory and auditory cortical areas and weaker interhemispheric rsFC have been reported in blind humans. Moreover, rsFC is more variable in blind individuals than in sighted controls. Cross-modal recruitment of visual cortical areas has also been shown in mice. Cross-modal activation involves modifications of the excitatory/inhibitory balance, rather than establishing new c

Serotonergic psychedelics are emerging as alternative therapies for treatment-resistant depression; however, their hallucinogenic effects may limit their widespread clinical use. Second-generation psychedelics, which lack hallucinogenic effects, are a promising alternative. 2-Bromo-LSD (2-Br-LSD/BETR-001) is an LSD derivative with 5-HT2A partial agonist activity that lacks hallucinogenic effects. Thus, 2-Br-LSD may represent a possible novel therapeutic for treating neuropsychiatric diseases. We assessed the effects of 2-Br-LSD on stress-coping behaviour in mice, using the forced swim test, an

Schizophrenia phenotypes are suggestive of impaired cortical plasticity in the disease, but the mechanisms of these deficits are unknown. Genomic association studies have implicated a large number of genes that regulate neuromodulation and plasticity, indicating that the plasticity deficits have a genetic origin. Here, we used biochemically detailed computational modelling of post-synaptic plasticity to investigate how schizophrenia-associated genes regulate long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD). We combined our model with data from post-mortem RNA expression studies (CommonMind ge

…deficits and how it can reflect on cortical activity is still largely unknown. This project's goal is to investigate the electrophysiological and functional changes affecti

…extraordinary showcase of the brain’s plasticity. Despite an established appreciation for the reorganizational capabilities of the brain, the exact mechanisms that enable experience-dependent plasticity remain unknown. The goal of this work is to uncover how circuitry of the auditory cortex (AC) facilitates learning of an auditory-driven maternal retrieval behavior in mice. Mouse pups emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) when they are separated from the nest which cues maternal retrieval - a learned response to these distr

Cortical plasticity is the neural mechanism by which the cerebrum adapts itself to its environment, while at the same time making it vulnerable to impoverished sensory or developmental experiences. Like the visual system, auditory development passes through a series of sensitive periods in which circuits and connections are established and then refined by experience. Current research is expanding our understanding of cerebral processing and organization in the deaf. In the congenitally deaf, higher-order areas of "deaf" auditory cortex demonstrate significant crossmodal plasticity with neuro

Maternal care is profoundly important for mammalian survival, and in many species requires the contribution of non-biological parents, or alloparents. In the absence of partum and post-partum related hormonal changes, alloparents acquire maternal skills from experience, by yet unknown mechanisms. One critical molecular signal for maternal behavior is oxytocin, a hormone centrally released by hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Do experiences that induce maternal behavior act by engaging PVN oxytocin neurons? To answer this, we used virgin female mice, animals that in the wild live in

Plasticity shapes the brain during development, and mechanisms of plasticity continue into adulthood to enable learning and memory. Nearly all brain functions are influenced by past events, reinforcing the view that the confluence of plasticity and computation in the same circuit elements is a core component of biological intelligence. My laboratory studies plasticity in the cerebral cortex during development, and plasticity during behaviour that is manifest as cortical dynamics. I will describe how cortical plasticity is implemented by learning rules that involve not only Hebbian changes and