Brain connections have their own tempo

The activation of cerebral cortex areas increases progressively during postnatal development. In this study, the authors unraveled the genetic bases for the establishment of such connectivity. UNIGE - Laboratoire Denis Jabaudon - Scientists from the University of Geneva show that during development, the different populations - of neurons needed for connections between brain areas share similar genetic programs, but which unfold at different speeds. The cerebral cortex, located at the surface of the brain, handles the cognitive, language, and complex functions that allow us to represent the world or project ourselves into the future. By being able to categorize and associate the stimuli it receives from our five senses, the cortex links this information together to make sense of it. To do this, different types of neurons establish cortical connections during embryonic development and early postnatal life. What is the biological mechanism by which this delicate assembly is created? A team from the University of Geneva , Switzerland, has now deciphered this process: although neurons are anatomically distinct, their genetic programs remain very similar.