Repeated restraint stress enhances visual plasticity through locus coeruleus (LC)-V1 projection in adult mice

Stress modulates a broad range of brain functions, including the visual system. However, the specific neural mechanisms by which stress regulates function and plasticity in the adult visual system remain unclear. This study demonstrates that repeated restraint stress selectively enhances ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) in the primary visual cortex (V1) of adult mice. This stress-induced reinstatement of ODP depends on noradrenergic (NE) signaling. Using anterograde and retrograde neural tracing, we identified a specific locus coeruleus (LC)-V1 projection. Chemogenetic inhibition of this pathway completely blocked stress-induced shifts in ocular dominance, whereas its activation alone was sufficient to restore a juvenile-like state of high plasticity in the absence of stress. Our findings establish the LC-V1 circuit as a key neural substrate mediating stress-induced visual plasticity.