Developmental plasticity

About: Developmental plasticity is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1721 publications have been published within this topic receiving 103438 citations.

Sleep slow-wave activity reveals developmental changes in experience-dependent plasticity.

Abstract: Experience-dependent plasticity, the ability of the brain to constantly adapt to an ever-changing environment, has been suggested to be highest during childhood and to decline thereafter. However, empirical evidence for this is rather scarce. Slow-wave activity (SWA; EEG activity of 1-4.5 Hz) during deep sleep can be used as a marker of experience-dependent plasticity. For example, performing a visuomotor adaptation task in adults increased SWA during subsequent sleep over a locally restricted region of the right parietal cortex, which is known to be involved in visuomotor adaptation. Here, we investigated whether local experience-dependent changes in SWA vary as a function of brain maturation. Three age groups (children, adolescents, and adults) participated in a high-density EEG study with two conditions (baseline and adaptation) of a visuomotor learning task. Compared with the baseline condition, sleep SWA was increased after visuomotor adaptation in a cluster of eight electrodes over the right parietal cortex. The local boost in SWA was highest in children. Baseline SWA in the parietal cluster and right parietal gray matter volume, which both indicate region-specific maturation, were significantly correlated with the local increase in SWA. Our findings indicate that processes of brain maturation favor experience-dependent plasticity and determine how sensitive a specific brain region is for learning experiences. Moreover, our data confirm that SWA is a highly sensitive tool to map maturational differences in experience-dependent plasticity.

Developmental plasticity of spatial hearing following asymmetric hearing loss: context-dependent cue integration and its clinical implications.

Abstract: Under normal hearing conditions, comparisons of the sounds reaching each ear are critical for accurate sound localization. Asymmetric hearing loss should therefore degrade spatial hearing and has become an important experimental tool for probing the plasticity of the auditory system, both during development and adulthood. In clinical populations, hearing loss affecting one ear more than the other is commonly associated with otitis media with effusion, a disorder experienced by approximately 80% of children before the age of two. Asymmetric hearing may also arise in other clinical situations, such as after unilateral cochlear implantation. Here, we consider the role played by spatial cue integration in sound localization under normal acoustical conditions. We then review evidence for adaptive changes in spatial hearing following a developmental hearing loss in one ear, and show that adaptation may be achieved either by learning a new relationship between the altered cues and directions in space or by changing the way different cues are integrated in the brain. We next consider developmental plasticity as a source of vulnerability, describing maladaptive effects of asymmetric hearing loss that persist even when normal hearing is provided. We also examine the extent to which the consequences of asymmetric hearing loss depend upon its timing and duration. Although much of the experimental literature has focused on the effects of a stable unilateral hearing loss, some of the most common hearing impairments experienced by children tend to fluctuate over time. We therefore propose that there is a need to bridge this gap by investigating the effects of recurring hearing loss during development, and outline recent steps in this direction. We conclude by arguing that this work points toward a more nuanced view of developmental plasticity, in which plasticity may be selectively expressed in response to specific sensory contexts, and consider the clinical implications of this.

Genomics of Developmental Plasticity in Animals.

Abstract: Developmental plasticity refers to the property by which the same genotype produces distinct phenotypes depending on the environmental conditions under which development takes place By allowing organisms to produce phenotypes adjusted to the conditions that adults will experience, developmental plasticity can provide the means to cope with environmental heterogeneity Developmental plasticity can be adaptive and its evolution can be shaped by natural selection It has also been suggested that developmental plasticity can facilitate adaptation and promote diversification Here, we summarize current knowledge on the evolution of plasticity and on the impact of plasticity on adaptive evolution, and we identify recent advances and important open questions about the genomics of developmental plasticity in animals We give special attention to studies using transcriptomics to identify genes whose expression changes across developmental environments and studies using genetic mapping to identify loci that contribute to variation in plasticity and can fuel its evolution

A comparative analysis of the adaptive developmental plasticity hypothesis in six Mediterranean anuran species along a pond permanency gradient

Abstract: Question: Is developmental phenotypic plasticity an adaptive trait and therefore more flexible in variable and unpredictable environments? Organism: The anuran larvae community encompassing Alytes obstetricans, Pelodytes punctatus, Bufo bufo, B. calamita, Hyla meridionalis, and Rana perezi. Methods: In the field, we examined the ecological breadth (spatial and temporal variability) of the six species along a pond permanency gradient in 240 ponds. In the laboratory, we measured developmental plasticity (time to and size at metamorphosis) of each species using two treatments: (1) constant water level and (2) drying treatment. A comparative analysis was undertaken of developmental plasticity and the function of species ecological breadth and their phylogenetic relationship. Results: Species that use a wide variety of habitats or unpredictable environments showed a greater plasticity of responses than those occurring in predictable habitats. At the two extremes of the hydroperiod (ephemeral and permanent ponds), specialist developmental phenotypes with limited plasticity occur, whereas species from variable habitats (temporary ponds) can be considered plastic strategists with asymmetric bet-hedging. Our results support the hypothesis that interspecific differences in developmental phenotypic plasticity are adaptive and are related to ecological breadth and unpredictability.