Mechanisms of developmental plasticity

这项研究的基本目标是了解在生命早期使用我们的大脑如何帮助它在一生中更好地运作。我们和其他人发现，在早期发育期间大量锻炼的通路会变得更强大，而相反，在早期发育过程中由于某种原因而没有广泛使用的大脑通路往往会变弱和萎缩。即使在大脑可塑性的生命早期没有应用纠正策略，那么扭转早期的缺陷也是极其困难的。这项建议的目标是了解关键时期大脑中发生的事情。试图增加我们对这个问题的了解。我们希望了解这个过程的生物化学，与加强连接相关的基因表达模式，以及大脑内的途径，并最终能够改进自然发生的学习过程。

The fundamental goal of this research is to understand how using our brain early in life helps it to operate better throughout the lifespan.  We, and others have found that pathways that are exercised heavily during early development become stronger, while conversely brain pathways that for one reason or another are not used extensively during early development tend to weaken and atrophy.  If corrective strategies are not applied early in life during which brain plasticity is possible, then it is extremely difficult to reverse early deficits.  The goal of this proposal is to understand what goes on in the brain during the critical period, to try to increase our knowledge of this issue.  We hope to understand the biochemistry of the process, the patterns of gene expression that are associated with strengthening of connections, and pathways within the brain, and ultimately to be able to improve on the naturally occurring learning process.