Nogo Receptor 1 Confines a Disinhibitory Microcircuit to the Critical Period in Visual Cortex.

Life experience refines brain circuits throughout development during specified critical periods. Abnormal experience during these critical periods can yield enduring maladaptive changes in neural circuits that impair brain function. In the developing visual system, visual deprivation early in life can result in amblyopia (lazy-eye), a prevalent childhood disorder comprising permanent deficits in spatial vision. Here we identify that the nogo-66 receptor 1 gene restricts an early and essential step in OD plasticity to the critical period. These findings link the emerging circuit-level description of OD plasticity to the genetic regulation of the critical period. Understanding how plasticity is confined to critical periods may provide clues how to better treat amblyopia.