Adult neuroplasticity employs developmental mechanisms.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of bench and animal mechanistic experiments without human clinical data.
PubMed 36762289 · doi:10.3389/fnsys.2022.1086680
What was done
This paper provides a narrative and historical synthesis of animal studies (including cats, rats, and non-human primates) investigating adult neuroplasticity following central lesions and peripheral nerve injuries. It reviews physiological, morphological, and neurochemical research, specifically focusing on glutamate (AMPA, NMDA) and GABA (GABAA, GABAB) receptor subunit expression patterns in somatosensory cortex.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. It describes historical findings demonstrating adult cortical reorganization occurring in immediate and protracted stages after peripheral nerve transections, with receptor subunit membrane expression in adult primate somatosensory cortex reverting to profiles characteristic of early critical-period development.
Why it matters
The paper synthesizes evidence showing that mature neural circuits can re-engage developmental neurochemical mechanisms (developmental recapitulation) to enable structural and functional plasticity following sensory deprivation.
Limits
The abstract contains no quantitative metrics, statistical analyses, or meta-analytic pooling. Findings derive primarily from animal deprivation and injury models (e.g., nerve transections, lesions), which limits direct extrapolation to intact human neuroplasticity.
Cited by
- supports Michael Merzenich and collaborators discovered that neuroplasticity remains a feature of the brain and nervous system throughout the entire human lifespan.