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Brain structural plasticity in large-brained mammals: Not only narrowing roads.
Marco Ghibaudi1,2, Alessandro Zanone1, Luca Bonfanti1,2
1Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.
Neural Regeneration Research
|March 27, 2025
Summary
Large-brained mammals, including humans, possess abundant immature neurons. These dormant neurons can mature throughout life, offering a novel pathway for neural plasticity in complex cognitive circuits, contrasting with typical brain regeneration trends.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Evolutionary Biology
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Neural plasticity and regeneration are thought to decrease with increasing brain complexity in mammals.
- However, some plasticity mechanisms show a reverse trend, evolving differently across species.
- A trade-off exists between stem cell-driven regenerative plasticity and experience-based developmental remodeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review different types of neural plasticity and their outcomes.
- To focus on stem cell-independent integration of new neurons in the mammalian brain.
- To explore the role of immature (dormant) neurons in high-order cognitive functions.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on neural plasticity, neurogenesis, and cellular maturation.
- Analysis of evolutionary trends in brain plasticity across different species.
- Focus on the characteristics and abundance of immature neurons in mammalian brains.
Main Results:
- Mammalian brains exhibit stem cell-independent integration of new neurons via dormant cells.
- These immature neurons restart maturation throughout life, contributing to plasticity in the cortex and amygdala.
- Abundant immature neurons are found in large-brained, long-living mammals, unlike stem cell-driven neurogenesis which decreases.
Conclusions:
- Immature neurons represent a significant pathway for plasticity in complex mammalian brains, challenging traditional views.
- This dormant neuron population offers potential for plasticity in higher-order cognitive circuits.
- Understanding these cells has crucial translational implications for neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorders.
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