An essential feature of the brain is its capacity to change. Neuroscientists use the term 'plasticity' to describe the malleability of neuronal connectivity and circuitry. How does plasticity work? A review of current data suggests that plasticity encompasses many distinct phenomena, some of which operate across most or all of the lifespan, and others that operate exclusively in early development. This essay surveys some of the key concepts related to neural plasticity, beginning with how current patterns of neural activity (e.g., as you read this essay) come to impact future patterns of activity (e.g., your memory of this essay), and then extending this framework backward into more development-specific mechanisms of plasticity. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e216. doi: 10.1002/wdev.216 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
