Behavioral and Neural Plasticity in the Developing Brain

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The physiological regulators of behavior are complex and change in an age-dependent manner. It is well known that behaviors directed by specific areas of the brain can be recovered following lesions in young animals. However, this ability of the brain that allows for recovery of function is lost as the animal matures. Little is understood regarding the biological mechanisms underlying this ability to compensate for damages to the brain in the young animal. However, it is known that these adaptations require compensational changes in the neural mechanisms and neurochemical systems that regulate behavior. This research is important because it will provide essential information about the neurochemical bases of behavior and the dynamics of this regulatory system with age. A wide variety of sensory-motor tests will be used to ascertain the behavioral effects of specific lesions. The contributions of specific neurochemical systems to the specific behaviors will be determined. Through an approach that considers ontogenetic changes in response as well as the neurochemical systems involved, an in depth understanding will be gained in the neurochemical regulation of behavior.