Beretta Emanuela, Cuboni Gianmarco, Deidda Gabriele
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, via Ugo Bassi n. 58/B, 35121 Padua, Italy.
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Malta Campus, VCT 2520 Victoria, Malta.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jun 9;26(12):5508. doi: 10.3390/ijms26125508.
The mature brain is the result of a complex neurodevelopmental process resulting from interweaved mechanisms and involving early genetic and microenvironmental factors shaped by patterns of spontaneous electrical activity. During postnatal development, the immature brain undergoes experience-dependent structural and functional shaping and modifications during critical period (CP) time windows to achieve the full maturation of brain functions. Plasticity is higher during neurodevelopmental CP windows and is limited in the adult brain, including during neuropsychiatric disorders. Notably, the neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin are two fundamental players controlling and modulating, respectively, brain plasticity in the developing and adult brain. Therefore, acquiring insights into the roles played by GABA and serotonin in regulating CP plasticity might hold potential for pharmacologically re-opening CP windows in adult life, with the aim of providing therapeutic intervention for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
成熟大脑是一个复杂神经发育过程的结果，该过程由相互交织的机制产生，涉及早期遗传和微环境因素，这些因素由自发电活动模式塑造。在出生后发育过程中，未成熟大脑在关键期（CP）时间窗口内经历依赖经验的结构和功能塑造及修饰，以实现大脑功能的完全成熟。神经发育CP窗口期间可塑性较高，而在成人大脑中则受到限制，包括在神经精神疾病期间。值得注意的是，神经递质γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）和血清素分别是控制和调节发育中和成人大脑可塑性的两个基本因素。因此，深入了解GABA和血清素在调节CP可塑性中所起的作用，可能具有在成年期通过药理学重新打开CP窗口的潜力，旨在为神经和神经精神疾病提供治疗干预。
