Many sensory processing regions of the central brain undergo critical periods of experience‐dependent plasticity. During this time ethologically relevant information shapes circuit structure and function. The mechanisms that control critical period timing and duration are poorly understood, and this is of special importance for those later periods of development, which often give rise to complex cognitive functions such as social behavior. Here, we review recent findings in Drosophila, an organism that has some unique experimental advantages, and introduce novel views for manipulating plasticity in the post‐embryonic brain. Critical periods in larval and young adult flies resemble classic vertebrate models with distinct onset and termination, display clear connections with complex behaviors, and provide opportunities to control the time course of plasticity. These findings may extend our knowledge about mechanisms underlying extension and reopening of critical periods, a concept that has great relevance to many human neurodevelopmental disorders.

中文翻译：

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塑造社会大脑的关键时期：来自果蝇的视角

中枢大脑的许多感觉处理区域经历了依赖于经验的可塑性的关键时期。在此期间，与行为相关的信息塑造电路结构和功能。控制关键时期时间和持续时间的机制知之甚少，这对于那些通常会产生复杂认知功能（如社会行为）的后期发展特别重要。在这里，我们回顾了最近在果蝇中的发现，一种具有一些独特实验优势的有机体，并引入了操纵胚胎后大脑可塑性的新观点。幼虫和年轻成虫的关键时期类似于经典的脊椎动物模型，具有不同的起始和终止，显示与复杂行为的明确联系，并提供控制可塑性时间进程的机会。这些发现可能会扩展我们对关键时期延长和重新开放的潜在机制的认识，这一概念与许多人类神经发育障碍有很大的相关性。