Effects of sensory deprivation upon a single cortical vibrissal column: a 2DG study

Effects of sensory deprivation upon ability of a vibrissa to activate a functional column in the barrel field of somatosensory cortex were examined with 2 deoxyglucose (2DG) autoradiography in the rat. After six weeks of whisker plucking started at birth, and one week of recovery, the cortical column activated by the deprived whisker and labeled with 2DG had a reduced diameter but higher labeling density than the normal vibrissal column. Loss of a peri-barrel labeling zone, possibly due to loss of intracortical activation, is suggested.