Posit Science refer to an article from   ScienceDaily (Aug. 9, 2008) — Researchers have long sought a factor that can trigger the brain’s ability to learn – and perhaps recapture the “sponge-like” quality of childhood. In the August 8 issue of the journal Cell, neuroscientists at Children’s Hospital Boston report that they’ve identified such a factor, a protein called Otx 2.

Brain Change Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Scientists have discovered a trigger for neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change and “rewire”—and surprisingly, it doesn’t come from the brain itself. The new research, done at Children’s Hospital Boston, shows the eye secretes a protein called Otx2 that switches on brain cells responsible for helping the brain learn. The scientists believe similar triggers may also come from the nose, ears, and other senses.

Children’s Hospital Boston (2008, August 9). Trigger For Brain Plasticity Identified: Signal Comes, Surprisingly, From Outside The Brain. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from  http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/08/080807130818.htm