title: Early retinal activity and visual circuit development.
abstract: Does spontaneous retinal activity prior to vision play a role in the establishment of visual maps? In this issue of Neuron, two separate papers by Huberman et al. and Hooks and Chen demonstrate a role for early spontaneous retinal activity in the establishment of ocular dominance columns and synaptic refinement at retinogeniculate synapses.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Section 0357, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 3125A Pacific Hall, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.forename: Marla B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Feller
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*