• Log in with Facebook Log in with Twitter Log In with Google      Sign In    
  • Create Account
  LongeCity
              Advocacy & Research for Unlimited Lifespans

Photo
* * * * * 1 votes

Extending the critical period of neural plasticity

plasticity

  • Please log in to reply
7 replies to this topic

#1 pi-

  • Guest
  • 73 posts
  • 5
  • Location:Oxford, England

Posted 27 June 2014 - 10:51 PM


I recently started a thread with the same title in the Nootopics sub-forum: http://www.longecity...ral-plasticity/

 

However, despite being active in this community for a week, this is the first time I've actually looked outside of that forum, and I think the post belongs here.

 

It is a fascinating read; the author points out that in normal individuals there exist mechanisms that close the window of neural plasticity for various brain regions/functions, and that autistic individuals have been found to lack these mechanisms.  This can help one understand how high functioning autistics often have savant skills while simultaneously being unable to function at an emotional/social level. Because the low level structure never stabilises, it is possible for their brains to perform calculations (and dynamically build structure) at this low level, with the flipside that they're unable to build higher-level structure because the low-level foundations never solidify.

 

The paper then goes on to list the various mechanisms that control neural plasticity, and how they may be artificially altered in order to reopen this window for adults.

 

The subject is of particular interest to me. I am planning to construct a stack that allows me to dose-up so as to temporarily open this window and perform a specific learning task that will create new structure, so that when the window closes and the brain restores it's natural balance, this new structure is preserved.

 

As I would only dose-up when I need to learn material, I should be relatively free from the resistance/tolerance/side-effect problems of constant habitual use.

 

How might I go about this task? If anyone with some understanding of the subject could help me, I'm most grateful!

 

The first step may be to go through that paper (I believe I pulled out all the juicy bits in the linked post), examine each mechanism listed and determine whether there is some available compound that triggers that mechanism.

 

I am keen to create in my mind some categorisation of the various brain mechanisms behind learning.  Some basic roadmap.  For example there are:

  • things that increase blood flow to the brain
  • methods of getting compounds useful to the brain past the brain blood barrier (choline, ...)
  • Things that increase LTP
  • switches for controlling plasticity, as mentioned in this post
  • probably a few other categories, for example where do Racetams/Noopept belong?

While I have found several lists, they tend to focus on being encyclopedic, and thus are incomprehensible to me -- it is information overload.

 

Can anyone point me to some gentle introduction that lays out the basic bird's-eye view? I am planning to create a Nootropic stack for helping me acquire perfect pitch using my own training games (http://www.longecity...-perfect-pitch/), and I think the only way I can progress is by understanding what I'm doing at some level.  But information exchanged on this forum tends to be at a high technical level.


Edited by pi-, 27 June 2014 - 10:53 PM.

  • like x 2
  • dislike x 1

#2 fairy

  • Guest
  • 143 posts
  • 27
  • Location:Italy
  • NO

Posted 27 June 2014 - 11:34 PM

Wonderful subject. Related: http://goo.gl/g7EiGu.



sponsored ad

  • Advert
Click HERE to rent this advertising spot for BRAIN HEALTH to support LongeCity (this will replace the google ad above).

#3 Flex

  • Guest
  • 1,629 posts
  • 149
  • Location:EU

Posted 28 June 2014 - 01:21 PM

I guess that I unfortunaetly cant help You.

I´ve searched allready a bit in this direction, but couldnt find much. But who knows, maybe I just hadnt Luck.

 

So because of my Cannabis abuse in the adolescence and a short term stimulant abuse,

I would very gladly know some ways to change something !

 

The only 2 things that I´ve learned are:

That Valproic acid can make You able to learn like a child

Epilepsy pill could give you the learning powers of a child so that studying for a skill in adulthood becomes easier

http://www.dailymail...ood-easier.html

 

And that there is a very interresting Cocaine hypothesis,

which states that one of its addiction forming mechanism are the same as the window of neuroplasticity in Young ages.

 

So if You know the mechanism of cocaine, and the hypothesis is true, then You would know more about the mechanism of adolescence induced Plasticity

 

The neural rejuvenation hypothesis of cocaine addiction

http://www.cell.com/...6147(14)00090-X

 

I would be incredible happy, if someone has an access to that Cocaine article in this Cell Journal


Edited by Flex, 28 June 2014 - 01:26 PM.


#4 aarfai

  • Member
  • 75 posts
  • 25
  • Location:Los Angeles

Posted 28 June 2014 - 11:43 PM

https://mega.co.nz/#...s_kqmalH8VuJWAU



#5 pi-

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest
  • 73 posts
  • 5
  • Location:Oxford, England

Posted 30 June 2014 - 11:49 AM

Can anyone make out that gist this article, and figure out whether there might be some practical plasticity-restoring mechanism that can be extracted?

 

While I used to love a good cup of coca-leaf tea (mmm Peru), I don't think the article is saying anything about cocaine per se. I think it's saying that addiction is a strongly formed memory. And investigating this may lead to new ways of forming strong memories. Which is pretty much as Flex laid it out... but I can't see anything practically useful in there.

 

The reason I'm looking into this is because I am attempting to teach myself perfect pitch, which requires forming new memories and restructuring neural circuitry that would've been baked in very early in my life. Hence I am looking at temporarily reopening the plasticity window while I train. (http://www.longecity...f-perfect-pitch)

 



#6 tunt01

  • Guest
  • 2,308 posts
  • 414
  • Location:NW

Posted 30 June 2014 - 01:28 PM

The reason why valproate works is because it is an HDACi and quiets the HPA axis (mood stabilizer).  What you are effectively trying to do is change the methylation pattern in your neurons, causing parts of the brain like the hippocampus to acetylate or de-methylate as the case may be.  You are trying to biologically turn on certain transcription pathways.

 

This mechanism of action has been explored is through many ways.  In mice, intracerebrovascular (ICV) administration of methionine has been shown to increase methylation and shutdown this sort of neuronal plasticity.  Methionine can hypermethylate the reelin promoter gene, and this process is reversed with valproate.  Valproate should also be able to de-methylate the promoter region of the GR gene NR3C1, which will enable transcription of NGFI-A (nerve growth factor inducible protein A).  I think this should ultimately lead to higher BDNF.

 

I'm not sure what the long-term implications are of such administration or if a short-term course is sufficiently modifying for the life of a mammal (that there is no reversion back to the pre-existing state).  You have to realize that when you take a drug like valproate, you aren't just effecting the methylation pattern of your brain alone -- it can have a system wide effect.  If valproate promotes cancer in other parts of the body, you are basically rolling the dice somewhat.


  • like x 3

#7 Flex

  • Guest
  • 1,629 posts
  • 149
  • Location:EU

Posted 30 June 2014 - 07:29 PM

 

Thank You Very Much :)



sponsored ad

  • Advert
Click HERE to rent this advertising spot for BRAIN HEALTH to support LongeCity (this will replace the google ad above).

#8 pi-

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest
  • 73 posts
  • 5
  • Location:Oxford, England

Posted 28 July 2014 - 05:24 PM

I started this thread a month ago, so I guess I can see how much progress I have made in one month.

 

I think I now have all of the pieces of the puzzle on the table: http://mathpad.wikid...om/autism-paper

 

I'm using my wiki because I can't retrospectively edit posts here, and I want to avoid cluttering this forum with half-digested information.

 

Can anyone help me fit them together?

 

The task now is to separate out the different mechanisms, and figure out how to trigger each one.

 

The most difficult one to address seems to be PNN breakdown http://www.longecity...ing-plasticity/


Edited by pi-, 28 July 2014 - 05:25 PM.






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: plasticity

1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users