Influence of Early Experience on Adult Brain Organization and Function

Early experience impacts adult brain structure and function but the extent of this influence and the mechanisms by which developmental neuronal plasticity affects adult brain function are unclear. Discussions of healthy and dysregulated development will help to define the questions that will be further addressed in animal models, and mechanisms responsible for developmental consequences will be analyzed at cellular and molecular levels. Some of the questions that will be addressed include: How do events of early development show up in our behavior as we age? What are the opportunities and risks during early development and their consequences for adult behavior? Can the identification of windows of “critical periods” in early development be used to reopen these windows at later points in the lifetime to enhance or regenerate adult function? The developmental origins of neurological and psychiatric disorders will frame many of the issues being addressed in this symposium.