Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Visualization of Thalamocortical Axon Branching and Synapse Formation in Organotypic Cocultures
06:16

Visualization of Thalamocortical Axon Branching and Synapse Formation in Organotypic Cocultures

Published on: March 28, 2018

6.9K

Early Seizures Prematurely Unsilence Auditory Synapses to Disrupt Thalamocortical Critical Period Plasticity

Hongyu Sun1, Anne E Takesian2, Ting Ting Wang3

  • 1Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.

Cell Reports
|May 31, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Early seizures in children disrupt auditory cortex development by altering critical plasticity periods. Blocking AMPA receptors after seizures can restore normal brain development and prevent lasting deficits.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Auditory Neuroscience

Background:

  • Early-life seizures increase susceptibility to neurological disorders like autism and language deficits.
  • Aberrant development of the auditory cortex is implicated in these post-seizure deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how early-life seizures affect critical periods for plasticity in the primary auditory cortex (A1).
  • To identify mechanisms by which seizures disrupt synaptic development and to explore potential therapeutic interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Examined the critical period (CP) for tonotopic map plasticity in the primary auditory cortex (A1).
  • Investigated the role of NMDA-receptor (NMDAR)-only and AMPA receptor (AMPAR) synapses during the CP.
  • Induced seizures before the CP and tested the effects of NBQX (an AMPAR antagonist) treatment.

Main Results:

  • Early-life seizures disrupt the CP for A1 tonotopic map plasticity.
  • Seizures prematurely unsilence NMDAR-only synapses by causing early AMPAR insertion, occluding plasticity.
  • Post-seizure treatment with NBQX prevented premature synapse unsilencing and preserved A1 plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life seizures alter critical period regulators in the auditory cortex.
  • Premature synapse unsilencing is a key mechanism by which seizures impair plasticity.
  • Targeting AMPA receptor activity post-seizure offers a potential therapeutic strategy to rescue critical period plasticity.

Keywords:
AMPA receptorNBQXNMDA receptorauditory cortexautismdevelopmentepilepsyneurodevelopmental disorderssilent synapsestonotopic plasticity

More Related Videos

Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve10:53

Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve

Published on: October 8, 2014

15.1K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Glial Influence in Experience-Dependent Synaptic Pruning During Critical Periods07:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Glial Influence in Experience-Dependent Synaptic Pruning During Critical Periods

Published on: March 1, 2024

1.1K

Related Concept Videos

The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
133.7K
The Periodic Table03:25

The Periodic Table

As early chemists discovered more elements, they realized that various elements could be grouped by their similar chemical behaviors. One such grouping includes lithium (Li), sodium (Na), and potassium (K). All of these elements are shiny, conduct heat and electricity well, and have similar chemical properties. A second grouping includes calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba), which also are shiny, good conductors of heat and electricity, and have chemical properties in common. However,...
117.3K
Periodic Classification of the Elements04:00

Periodic Classification of the Elements

The periodic table arranges atoms based on increasing atomic number so that elements with the same chemical properties recur periodically. When their electron configurations are added to the table, a periodic recurrence of similar electron configurations in the outer shells of these elements is observed. Because they are in the outer shells of an atom, valence electrons play the most important role in chemical reactions. The outer electrons have the highest energy of the electrons in an atom...
59.3K
Plasticity00:58

Plasticity

Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...
3.1K
Plasticizers01:31

Plasticizers

Water-reducers, or plasticizers, are chemical admixtures used in concrete to improve strength and workability. These additives reduce the water-cement ratio without compromising workability, lower the cement content while maintaining the same workability, or increase workability to assist concrete placement in inaccessible areas.
Plasticizers function by using surface-active agents to create repulsive electrostatic forces between cement particles. This dispersion enhances the concrete's...
375
Plastic Behavior01:21

Plastic Behavior

A material's elastic behavior is characterized by the disappearance of stress once the load is removed, allowing the material to return to its original state. However, when stress surpasses the yield point, yielding commences, marking the onset of plastic deformation or permanent set. This change from elastic to plastic behavior is influenced by the peak stress value and the duration before the load is removed. An intriguing observation occurs when a specimen is loaded, unloaded, and...
580