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Postnatal development of corticospinal postsynaptic action.

Zhuo Meng1, John H Martin

  • 1Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, New York City, New York 10032, USA.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|April 19, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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The corticospinal system can activate spinal neurons early in development, before mature motor functions emerge. This early capacity is crucial for refining corticospinal circuit connectivity during postnatal development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Motor System Development

Background:

  • The corticospinal system's postnatal development is delayed, with functional maturation occurring around weeks 6-7 in cats.
  • Early postnatal motor deficits suggest immature corticospinal tract (CST) function, but the underlying synaptic capabilities are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the delayed expression of corticospinal motor functions is due to an inability of corticospinal synapses to activate spinal neurons during development.
  • To examine the developmental trajectory of corticospinal synaptic activation within the spinal cord gray matter.

Main Methods:

  • Stimulation of corticospinal axons in the pyramid of anesthetized cats at various developmental stages and in adults.
  • Recording of evoked field potentials from the cervical spinal cord surface and within the gray matter using depth electrodes.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of the spatial distribution and temporal characteristics of pre- and postsynaptic field potentials.

    • Main Results:

    • Pyramidal stimulation evoked surface and postsynaptic responses in developing and adult cats.
    • In 4- to 5-week-old animals, local field potentials were recorded across the entire gray matter, indicating widespread spinal neuron activation.
    • In older animals and adults, these potentials were restricted to the intermediate gray matter zone, mirroring anatomical refinement of CST terminals.

    Conclusions:

    • The developing corticospinal system possesses the capacity to influence the excitability of the entire contralateral spinal cord gray matter prior to the emergence of mature cortical motor functions.
    • This widespread spinal activation capability during early postnatal life likely plays a significant role in activity-dependent refinement of corticospinal circuit connectivity.