Abstract-Shum
Abstract
The goal of this proposal is to find keys to re-open plasticity in hardwired circuits of sensori-motor function. Clues are taken from the condensation of glycan-rich peri-neuronal and astrocytic nets in the mature central nervous system. Age-related changes in the glycan components of perineuronal nets invite the search for plasticity-inducing factors harboured in the net environment. Examples will be drawn from studies in rodents with respect to developmental maturation of the central vestibular pathway for graviception and spatial navigation as well as responses to sensory loss in adults. Findings will open opportunities to target the glycan domains of the nets as a novel strategy for reinstating circuit plasticity by resetting excitatory/inhibitory balance according to experience in otherwise hardwired circuits.
