A5085903867- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Retinal Development and Disorders
- Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Nerve injury and regeneration
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Glaucoma and retinal disorders
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Retinoids in leukemia and cellular processes
- Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
- Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Biochemical effects in animals
- Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Infant Development and Preterm Care
Neuroscience Institute
2015-2025
National Research Council
2015-2024
University of Florence
2014-2023
Fondazione Stella Maris
2023
Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico
2023
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
2017-2021
Scuola Normale Superiore
1999-2014
Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "Alessandro Faedo"
2002-2010
New York University Florence
2010
European Brain Research Institute
2005
In young animals, monocular deprivation leads to an ocular dominance shift, whereas in adults after the critical period there is no such shift. Chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are components of extracellular matrix (ECM) inhibitory for axonal sprouting. We tested whether developmental maturation ECM experience-dependent plasticity visual cortex. The organization CSPGs into perineuronal nets coincided with end and was delayed by dark rearing. After CSPG degradation...
Abstract Neurogenesis continues to occur in the adult mammalian hippocampus and is regulated by both genetic environmental factors. It known that exposure an enriched environment enhances number of newly generated neurons dentate gyrus. However, mechanisms which housing produces these effects are poorly understood. To test a role for neurotrophins, we used heterozygous knockout mice brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF +/– ) lacking neurotrophin‐4 (NT‐4 –/– together with their wild‐type...
Brain aging is characterized by global changes which are thought to underlie age-related cognitive decline. These include variations in brain activity and the progressive increase concentration of soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers, directly impairing synaptic function plasticity even absence any neurodegenerative disorder. Considering high social impact decline performance associated aging, there an urgent need better understand how it can be prevented or contrasted. Lifestyle components,...
Visual deficits caused by abnormal visual experience during development are hard to recover in adult animals. Removal of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans from the mature extracellular matrix with chondroitinase ABC promotes plasticity cortex. We tested whether treatment rats facilitates anatomical, functional, and behavioral recovery effects a period monocular deprivation initiated critical for deprivation. found that coupled reverse lid-suturing causes complete ocular dominance, acuity,...
Experience-dependent plasticity in the cortex is often higher during short critical periods postnatal development. The mechanisms limiting adult cortical are still unclear. Maturation of intracortical GABAergic inhibition suggested to be crucial for closure period ocular dominance (OD) visual cortex. We find that reduction transmission rat partially reactivates OD response monocular deprivation (MD). This accompanied by an enhancement activity-dependent potentiation synaptic efficacy but not...
Nerve growth factor (NGF) delivery to the brain of patients appears be an emerging potential therapeutic approach neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The intranasal route administration could provide alternative intracere-broventricular infusion and gene therapy. We previously showed that NGF determined amelioration cholinergic deficit a decrease in number phosphotau-positive neurons β-amyloid accumulation AD11 mice, which express transgenic antibodies neutralizing...
Neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF) has been suggested to be involved in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, but no transgenic model is currently available study this concept. We have obtained mice expressing a neutralizing anti-NGF recombinant antibody, which the levels of antibodies are three orders magnitude higher adult than newborn [F.R., S. C., A.C., E. Di Daniel, J. Franzot, Gonfloni, G. Rossi, N. B. & A. C. (2000) Neurosci. , 20, 2589–2601]. In paper, we analyze phenotype...
Thus far, the developmental plasticity of visual system has been studied by altering or reducing experience. Here, we investigated whether a complex sensory-motor stimulation, provided rearing animals in an enriched environment, affects development. We found that raising mice this condition causes earlier eye opening, precocious development acuity, and accelerated decline white matter-induced long-term potentiation. These effects are accompanied cAMP response element-mediated gene expression...
The hypothesis that NGF could play a role in the plasticity of developing mammalian visual cortex was tested monocularly deprived (MD) rats. In particular, we have asked whether an exogenous supply prevent changes ocular dominance distribution induced by monocular deprivation. Hooded rats were for 1 month, starting at postnatal day 14 (P14), immediately before eye opening, means eyelid suture. eight rats, only deprivation performed; combined with intraventricular injections beta-NGF, and...
Environmental enrichment (EE) was shown recently to accelerate brain development in rodents. Increased levels of maternal care, and particularly tactile stimulation through licking grooming, may represent a key component the early phases EE. We hypothesized that enriching environment terms body massage thus infants. explored effects preterm infants found accelerates maturation electroencephalographic activity visual function, particular acuity. In massaged infants, we higher blood IGF-1....
The disruption of the nerve growth factor (NGF) gene in transgenic mice leads to a lethal phenotype (Crowley et al., 1994) and hinders study NGF functions adult. In this phenotypic knockout adult was achieved by expressing anti-NGF antibodies, under control human cytomegalovirus promoter. mice, antibody levels are 2000-fold higher than newborns. Classical targets, including sympathetic sensory neurons, severely affected. CNS, basal forebrain hippocampal cholinergic neurons not affected early...
Experience-dependent plasticity in the developing visual cortex depends on electrical activity and molecular signals involved stabilization or removal of inputs. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1,2 (also called p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase) activation is regulated by both factors. We show that two different inhibitors ERK pathway suppress induction forms long-term potentiation (LTP) rat cortical slices their intracortical administration to monocularly deprived rats prevents...
Abstract Age-related cognitive impairment and dementia are an increasing societal burden. Epidemiological studies indicate that lifestyle factors, e.g. physical, social activities, correlate with reduced risk; moreover, positive effects on cognition of physical/cognitive training have been found in cognitively unimpaired elders. Less is known about effectiveness action mechanisms elders already suffering from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a population at high risk for dementia. We...
Aim Early intervention programmes based on the manipulation of extra‐uterine environment have been used in preterm infants with aim improving development and functional outcome. Infant massage, among them, has proved effective for weight gain reduced length stay neonatal intensive care unit. We recently shown that infant massage accelerates brain maturation low‐risk without abnormalities as measured by global parameters electroencephalography (EEG) activity. In present study we further...