Disrupting a signalling molecule in week-old mice prevents their neurons from altering connections with other neurons in adulthood.

Cognitive problems can result from an inability to strengthen or weaken these connections, called synapses, in the brain in response to external triggers — a process known as plasticity. Neil Hardingham of Cardiff University, UK, and his colleagues blocked signalling by the DISC1 protein in 7-day-old mice for 6–48 hours. When the animals reached adulthood, their synapses failed to adapt in response to signals generated by stimulating one of their whiskers.

In humans, changes to DISC1 signals during this critical period soon after birth could underlie psychiatric symptoms that emerge during adolescence, the authors suggest.

Science 349, 424–427 (2015)