Competition in the Development of Nerve Connections

A. van Ooyen & R. R. Ribchester, In: Modeling Neural Development (ed. A. van Ooyen), 2003, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, pp. 183-211

Abstract

During development, neurons and other target cells are often initially innervated by more axons than ultimately remain into adulthood. The process that leads to elimination of connections is referred to as axonal or synaptic competition. This chapter reviews the models of competition that have been proposed for the neuromuscular and the visual system, and describes in detail a model that links competition in the development of nerve connections with the underlying actions and biochemistry of neurotrophic factors.