Rejuvenation of plasticity in the brain: opening the critical period

Cortical circuits are particularly sensitive to incoming sensory information during well-defined intervals of postnatal development called 'critical periods'. The critical period for cortical plasticity closes in adults, thus restricting the brain's ability to indiscriminately store new sensory information. For example, children acquire language in an exposure-based manner, whereas learning language in adulthood requires more effort and attention. It has been suggested that pairing sounds with the activation of neuromodulatory circuits involved in attention reopens this critical period. Here, we review two critical period hypotheses related to neuromodulation: cortical disinhibition and thalamic adenosine. We posit that these mechanisms co-regulate the critical period for auditory cortical plasticity. We also discuss ways to reopen this period and rejuvenate cortical plasticity in adults.