Recent Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Ocular Dominance Plasticity in the Visual Cortex
Yanglin Qin1 · Wei Wang1 · Yu Gu2 · Xuefeng Shi1,3
1 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin Eye Hospital, Clinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300020, China
2 State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
3 Institute of Ophthalmology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300020, China
Abstract
The visual cortex is an essential part of the brain for processing visual information. It exhibits structural and functional plasticity, which is crucial for adapting to complex visual environments. The quintessential manifestation of visual cortical plasticity is ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period, which involves numerous cellular and molecular events. While previous studies have emphasized the role of visual cortical neurons and their associated functional molecules in visual plasticity, recent findings have revealed that structural factors such as the extracellular matrix and glia are also involved. Investigating how these molecules interact to form a complex network that facilitates plasticity in the visual cortex is crucial to our understanding of the development of the visual system and the advancement of therapeutic strategies for visual disorders like amblyopia.
Keywords
Visual cortex; Plasticity; Visual experience; Development; Molecular mechanisms
