Any adult who has tried to take up the piano or learn a new language is faced with the sobering realization that acquiring such skills is more challenging as an adult than as a child. Neuronal plasticity, or the malleability of brain circuits, declines with age. Young neurons tend to be more adaptable and can alter the size and strength of their connections more readily than can old neurons. Myriad circuit- and synapse-level mechanisms that shape plasticity have been identified. Yet, molecular mechanisms setting the overall competence of young neurons for distinct forms of plasticity remain largely obscure. Recent studies indicate evolutionarily conserved roles for FoxO proteins in establishing the capacity for cell-fate, morphological, and synaptic plasticity in neurons.

任何尝试弹钢琴或学习新语言的成年人都必须清醒地认识到，成年后，学习技巧比成年时面临的挑战要大得多。随着年龄的增长，神经元可塑性或脑回路的可塑性下降。年轻的神经元比老的神经元更容易适应，并且可以更轻松地改变其连接的大小和强度。已经确定了影响可塑性的无数电路和突触级机制。然而，设置年轻神经元对不同形式的可塑性的整体能力的分子机制仍然不清楚。最近的研究表明，FoxO蛋白在建立神经元的细胞命运，形态学和突触可塑性的能力方面具有进化上保守的作用。