title: Somato-dendritic decoupling as a novel mechanism for protracted cortical maturation.
abstract: Both human and animal data indicate that disruption of the endogenously slow maturation of temporal association cortical (TeA) networks is associated with abnormal higher order cognitive development. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying the endogenous maturation delay of the TeA are poorly understood.
  
  
  
  Here we report a novel form of developmental plasticity that is present in the TeA. It was found that deep layer TeA neurons, but not hippocampal or primary visual neurons, exist in a protracted 'embryonic-like' state through a mechanism involving reduced somato-dendritic communication and a non-excitable somatic membrane. This mechanism of neural inactivity is present in intact tissue and shows a remarkable transition into an active somato-dendritically coupled state. The quantity of decoupled cells diminishes in a protracted and age-dependent manner, continuing into adolescence.
  
  
  
  Based on our data, we propose a model of neural plasticity through which protracted compartmentalization and decoupling in somato-dendritic signalling plays a key role in controlling how excitable neurons are incorporated into recurrent cortical networks independent of neurogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada. tgchomia@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6118-813X
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chomiak
authors.affiliation: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Minh Dang
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Division of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada. hub@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
keywords: Excitability; Memory; Neocortex; Neuron; Pyramidal; Remote