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Changes in dendritic structure and function following hippocampal lesions: correlations with developmental events?
1Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY 10032-3702, USA. jcb4@columbia.edu
Progress in Neurobiology
|July 22, 1998
Summary
Nervous system recovery can partially restore developmental processes. However, adult phenotypes limit full reversion to embryonic states, explaining reduced recovery in adults versus during development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Nervous system lesions can impair function, with recovery varying based on age.
- Developmental processes are often invoked as a model for neural repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review proposed mechanisms of neural recovery after lesions.
- To compare recovery processes in adults versus during development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on nervous system lesion recovery.
- Analysis of proposed developmental schemes and adult recovery phenomena.
Main Results:
- Some recovery processes involve re-expression of embryonic phenotypes.
- Many recovery processes do not mirror developmental phenomena.
- Adult phenotypes impede full reversion to embryonic schemes.
Conclusions:
- Neural recovery is a complex process, not a simple recapitulation of development.
- Age-related factors, particularly adult phenotypes, contribute to diminished recovery capacity in adults.