title: Adult neuroplasticity: more than 40 years of research.
abstract: Within the last four decades, our view of the mature vertebrate brain has changed significantly. Today it is generally accepted that the adult brain is far from being fixed. A number of factors such as stress, adrenal and gonadal hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, certain drugs, environmental stimulation, learning, and aging change neuronal structures and functions. The processes that these factors may induce are morphological alterations in brain areas, changes in neuron morphology, network alterations including changes in neuronal connectivity, the generation of new neurons (neurogenesis), and neurobiochemical changes. Here we review several aspects of neuroplasticity and discuss the functional implications of the neuroplastic capacities of the adult and differentiated brain with reference to the history of their discovery.
authors.affiliation: German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flügge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009462:Neurology / Q000266:history*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin