Balmer Timothy S, Carels Vanessa M, Frisch Jillian L, Nick Teresa A
Department of Neuroscience and Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
J Neurosci. 2009 Oct 14;29(41):12878-85. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2974-09.2009.
Neural circuits and behavior are shaped during developmental phases of maximal plasticity known as sensitive or critical periods. Neural correlates of sensory critical periods have been identified, but their roles remain unclear. Factors that define critical periods in sensorimotor circuits and behavior are not known. Birdsong learning in the zebra finch occurs during a sensitive period similar to that for human speech. We now show that perineuronal nets, which correlate with sensory critical periods, surround parvalbumin-positive neurons in brain areas that are dedicated to singing. The percentage of both total and parvalbumin-positive neurons with perineuronal nets increased with development. In HVC (this acronym is the proper name), a song area important for sensorimotor integration, the percentage of parvalbumin neurons with perineuronal nets correlated with song maturity. Shifting the vocal critical period with tutor song deprivation decreased the percentage of neurons that were parvalbumin positive and the relative staining intensity of both parvalbumin and a component of perineuronal nets. Developmental song learning shares key characteristics with sensory critical periods, suggesting shared underlying mechanisms.
神经回路和行为在被称为敏感或关键期的最大可塑性发育阶段形成。感觉关键期的神经关联已被确定，但其作用仍不清楚。定义感觉运动回路和行为关键期的因素尚不清楚。斑胸草雀的鸣禽学习发生在一个类似于人类语言的敏感期。我们现在表明，与感觉关键期相关的神经元周围网环绕着专门用于唱歌的脑区中的小白蛋白阳性神经元。带有神经元周围网的总神经元和小白蛋白阳性神经元的百分比随发育而增加。在HVC（这个首字母缩写词是专有名称），一个对感觉运动整合很重要的歌曲区域，带有神经元周围网的小白蛋白神经元的百分比与歌曲成熟度相关。通过剥夺导师歌曲来改变发声关键期，会降低小白蛋白阳性神经元的百分比以及小白蛋白和神经元周围网一个成分的相对染色强度。发育性歌曲学习与感觉关键期具有关键特征，表明存在共同的潜在机制。
