title: Plasticity in the human visual cortex: an ophthalmology-based perspective.
abstract: Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize the function and structure of its connections in response to changes in the environment. Adult human visual cortex shows several manifestations of plasticity, such as perceptual learning and adaptation, working under the top-down influence of attention. Plasticity results from the interplay of several mechanisms, including the GABAergic system, epigenetic factors, mitochondrial activity, and structural remodeling of synaptic connectivity. There is also a downside of plasticity, that is, maladaptive plasticity, in which there are behavioral losses resulting from plasticity changes in the human brain. Understanding plasticity mechanisms could have major implications in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases, such as retinal disorders, cataract and refractive surgery, amblyopia, and in the evaluation of surgical materials and techniques. Furthermore, eliciting plasticity could open new perspectives in the development of strategies that trigger plasticity for better medical and surgical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Oftalmologia, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal ; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Andreia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martins Rosa
authors.forename: Maria Fátima
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murta
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D059330:GABAergic Neurons; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*