biostudies-literatureQuast KBMEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of ScienceHHS | National Institutes of HealthHHS | NIH | National Institute of Mental HealthNHLBI NIH HHSNIMH NIH HHSNational Science Foundatione2123182120https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9926253biostudies-literatureUnknown120(2)Early-life experience enduringly sculpts thalamocortical (TC) axons and sensory processing. Here, we identify the very first synaptic targets that initiate critical period plasticity, heralded by altered cortical oscillations. Monocular deprivation (MD) acutely induced a transient (<3 h) peak in EEG γ-power (~40 Hz) specifically within the visual cortex, but only when the critical period was open (juvenile mice or adults after dark-rearing, <i>Lynx1</i>-deletion, or diazepam-rescued GAD65-deficiency). Rapid TC input loss onto parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory interneurons (but not onto nearby pyramidal cells) was observed within hours of MD in a TC slice preserving the visual pathway - again once critical periods opened. Computational TC modeling of the emergent γ-rhythm in response tProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaRapid synaptic and gamma rhythm signature of mouse critical period plasticity.PMC99262531P0MH094271T32 HL0079015T32HL007901WPI-IRCNDGE0946799 DGE1144152P50 MH094271Quast KBHensch TKReh RKKopell NMcCarthy MMCaiati MDfalseRapid synaptic and gamma rhythm signature of mouse critical period plasticity.Early-life experience enduringly sculpts thalamocortical (TC) axons and sensory processing. Here, we identify the very first synaptic targets that initiate critical period plasticity, heralded by altered cortical oscillations. Monocular deprivation (MD) acutely induced a transient (<3 h) peak in EEG γ-power (~40 Hz) specifically within the visual cortex, but only when the critical period was open (juvenile mice or adults after dark-rearing, <i>Lynx1</i>-deletion, or diazepam-rescued GAD65-deficiency). Rapid TC input loss onto parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory interneurons (but not onto nearby pyramidal cells) was observed within hours of MD in a TC slice preserving the visual pathway - again once critical periods opened. Computational TC modeling of the emergent γ-rhythm in response t2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jan2025-04-21T22:12:44.202Z2025-04-21T22:12:44.202ZS-EPMC99262533659894210.1073/pnas.2123182120