title: Neuromodulatory influence of norepinephrine during developmental experience-dependent plasticity.
abstract: Critical periods represent phases of development during which neuronal circuits and their responses can be readily shaped by stimuli. Experience-dependent plasticity that occurs within these critical periods can be influenced in many ways; however, Shepard et al. (J Neurosci 35: 2432-2437, 2015) recently singled out norepinephrine as an essential driver of this plasticity within the auditory cortex. This work provides novel insight into the mechanisms of critical period plasticity and challenges previous conceptions that a functional redundancy exists between noradrenergic and cholinergic influences on cortical plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee;
authors.forename: Randall M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Golovin
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; and Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee nicholas.j.ward@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine; D001303:Auditory Cortex; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009638:Norepinephrine
chemical_list: D000109:Acetylcholine; D009638:Norepinephrine
keywords: auditory cortex; critical period; neuromodulation; norepinephrine; plasticity