Mechanistic Relationships Between Development and LearningThomas J. Carew, R. Menzel, C. J. Shatz At the turn of the century, the pioneering neuroscientist Ramon y Cajal articulated the hypothesis that growth processes involved in the development of the central nervous system may persist into adulthood, where they might be retained to mediate the formation and maintenance of memory. Over the decades since Cajal s seminal suggestion, extensive experimental attention has been directed at elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying both neuronal development and learning and memory. Many exciting technical and conceptual advances have been made on each front. Thus, as we approach the end of this century, the field is now poised to assess the status of Cajal s provocative hypothesis directly. This volume reflects a highly interdisciplinary dialog among experts in the fields of development and learning and memory, who came together not only to assess the validity of the general hypotheses that development and learning might share mechanistic features, but also to identify issues, preparations, and paradigms that would allow for a rigorous evaluation of ways to advance the hypothesis, on the one hand, and determine its fundamental limitations, on the other. Towards this end, the volume is organized into four levels of analysis: behavioral, systems, cellular, and molecular. At each level, neuroscientists from the general fields of development and learning engage in lively exchange of ideas which serve to highlight the similarities and differences of both the concepts and the experimental approaches used in their diverse fields. The result of this endeavor is a collection of seminal chapters and summary reports that provide a novel synthesis of important advances in two exciting areas of modern neuroscience. Goal of this Dahlem Workshop: to evaluate the validity of the general thesis that mechanisms utilized in the development of the nervous system are reutilized in the adult to mediate formation and maintenance of memory. |
Contents
Convergence of Experimental and Developmental Approaches | 15 |
Are There | 29 |
The Development of Speech and Language | 53 |
What Does Behavior Tell Us about the Relationship | 75 |
Neurotrophins and Visual System Plasticity | 93 |
Development Learning | 113 |
Cerebellar Motor Learning Selfregulating Plasticity | 149 |
To What Extent Are Activitydependent Processes | 163 |
Synapse Formation | 189 |
The Role of LTD and LTP in Development and Learning | 205 |
Are the Cellular Mechanisms of Synaptic Development | 227 |
Genetic Analysis of Learning and Memory | 253 |
Genetic Approaches to Axon Pathfinding | 267 |
Do the Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Development | 285 |
303 | |
Common terms and phrases
Acad AChR activity-dependent adult amygdala Aplysia auditory axons BDNF behavioral Bienenstock Bonhoeffer brain C.J. Shatz cellular cerebellar changes climbing fiber connections contextual fear correlation cortical critical period dendritic development and learning developmental differentiation Drosophila E.J. Nordeen effects example experience expression factor Fanselow fear conditioning formation Frégnac function genes genetic granule cell Hebbian hippocampus induced infants interactions involved kinase Kuhl language layer learning and memory lesions LMAN long-term depression long-term potentiation LTP and LTD Malenka maps mechanisms mice molecular molecules motor muscle mutant Natl nervous system neural neuregulin neuromuscular neurons Neurosci neurotrophins NMDA receptor normal nucleus occur ocular dominance columns pathway patterns perception postsynaptic postsynaptic activity presynaptic Proc processes proteins Purkinje cells regulation representation response role Science sensory signals song learning song system spatial specific speech stimulation Stryker studies subunit synaptic plasticity synaptic transmission temporal visual cortex vocal vowel zebra finch