Early visual experience, learning, and neurochemical plasticity in the rat and the chick

Rats reared in the dark to 50 days show morphological and biochemical changes in the visual pathway. Light exposure results in elevated incorporation into protein in visual cortex, lateral geniculate and retina. Much of the visual cortex elevation is in a rapidly labelling, rapidly transported neuronal particulate protein. There are concomitant changes in lysosomal and transmitter enzyme activity. In chicks exposed to an imprinting stimulus (a flashing light) there are elevations in RNA polymerase and RNA and protein incorporation in the anterior forebrain roof (a.f.r.) compared with controls. There are changes in adenyl cyclase, cAMP and AChE. Behavioural controls show that although there are general biochemical sequelae of light exposure, the elevation in RNA synthesis in the a.f.r. is not a result of motor, stress or sensory activity, but is correlated with a measure of the learning of the stimulus characteristics. A model for neurochemical correlates of developmental plasticity, learning, and state-dependent transients is discussed.