Map plasticity in somatosensory cortex.

The role of inhibition in sensory cortical map plasticity is not well understood. Here we tested whether inhibition contributes to expression of receptive field plasticity in developing rat somatosensory (S1) cortex. In normal rats,…

Gamma-Aminobutyric acid containing neurons in the somatosensory cortex are the major controlling element determining receptive field size and location. This control of the excitability of cortical neurons can be modulated by activity arising in the…

Over recent years, we have come to the surprising realization that sensory cortex is highly plastic in functional organization, even in adult brains. Much of the evidence for this conclusion comes from studies of the effects of peripheral…

A Hebb-like model of synaptic modification is proposed to explain a variety of effects in somatosensory cortical map plasticity. The model is based on that of E.L. Beinenstock et al. (1982), and incorporates a sliding modification threshold.…

Type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptors mediate widespread synaptic plasticity, but how this contributes to systems-level plasticity and development in vivo is unclear. We tested whether CB1 signaling is required for development and plasticity of the…

Many cortical synapses exhibit spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) in which the precise timing of presynaptic and postsynaptic spikes induces synaptic strengthening long-term potentiation (LTP) or weakening long-term depression (LTD). Standard…

Sensory experience drives plasticity of the body map in developing and adult somatosensory cortex, but the synaptic mechanisms underlying such plasticity are not well understood. Recently, several mechanisms that are likely to contribute to map…

Recent research indicates that areas of the primary somatosensory (SI) and primary motor cortex show massive cortical reorganization after amputation of the upper arm, forearm or fingers. Most of these studies were carried out months or several…

Animal studies have demonstrated that motor recovery after hemiparetic stroke is associated with functional and structural brain plasticity. While studies in stroke patients have revealed functional plasticity in sensorimotor cortical areas in…

Type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptors mediate widespread synaptic plasticity, but how this contributes to systems-level plasticity and development in vivo is unclear. We tested whether CB1 signaling is required for development and plasticity of the…