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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Revealing Neural Circuit Topography in Multi-Color
Published on: November 14, 2011
Learning through maps: functional significance of topographic organization in primary sensory cortex
M E Diamond1, R S Petersen, J A Harris
1Cognitive Neuroscience Sector, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Beirut, 2-4, 34014 Trieste, Italy.
Abstract:
The presence of "maps" in sensory cortex is a hallmark of the mammalian nervous system, but the functional significance of topographic organization has been called into question by physiological studies claiming that patterns of neural behavioral activity transcend topographic boundaries. This paper discusses recent behavioral and physiological studies suggesting that, when animals or human subjects learn perceptual tasks, the neural modifications associated with the learning are distributed according to the spatial arrangement of the primary sensory cortical map. Topographical cortical representations of sensory events, therefore, appear to constitute a true structural framework for information processing and plasticity.
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