Neuregulins as modulators of dendritic growth and plasticity in the cerebral cortex

大脑皮层是一个复杂的网络，参与感觉、运动和认知信息的高级处理。有效的信息处理需要皮层神经元持续整合数千个皮层内和皮层外的输入，这些输入主要分布在树突和棘上。树突是精细的结构，可以通过神经元活动形成。在这里，我们建议研究被称为神经调节因子的生长因子如何影响皮层树突的生长。这项研究将有助于我们理解脑回路形态适应的生物学机制。

The cerebral cortex is a complex network involved in the high-level treatment of sensory, motor and cognitive information. Efficient processing requires cortical neurons to continuously integrate thousands of intra- and extra-cortical inputs, which are mostly found on dendritic branches and spines. Dendrites are elaborate structures which can be shaped by neuronal activity. Here, we propose to study how growth factors called neuregulins influence the growth of cortical dendrites. This study will contribute to our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying morphological adaptations of brain circuitries.