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Strabismus modifies intrinsic and inter-areal connections in cat area 18
1Leibniz-Lnstitute for Neurobiology, Project Group "Visual Development and Plasticity," Brenneckestr. 6, D-39118 Magdeburg, Germany. karl.schmidt@uni-jena.de
Neuroscience
|February 6, 2008
Summary
Visual experience shapes brain connections. In strabismic cats, neuronal circuits in areas 17 and 18 strengthen connections between coactive neurons, demonstrating experience-dependent circuit stabilization.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Visual System Development
- Cortical Plasticity
Background:
- Long-range horizontal connections in the visual cortex are crucial for integrating information.
- Previous studies indicated that visual experience influences the stabilization of these connections in area 17.
- Strabismus, a condition of misaligned eyes, reveals experience-dependent modifications in neuronal circuitry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if experience-dependent stabilization of neuronal connections is a general principle in the visual cortex.
- To examine intrinsic horizontal connections within area 18 and inter-areal connections between areas 17 and 18.
- To determine the role of correlated neural activity in shaping intracortical circuitry.
Main Methods:
- Intrinsic signal imaging was used to visualize the functional architecture of area 18.
- Fluorescent latex microspheres were injected into functionally identified domains to label horizontal circuitry.
- 2-deoxyglucose autoradiography identified ocular dominance domains to map neuronal connections.
Main Results:
- In strabismic cats, a significantly higher percentage of neurons in area 18 (72%) and area 17 (68%) connected to domains with the same ocular dominance as the injection sites.
- In normal cats, these percentages were lower (52% in area 18, 54% in area 17).
- These findings indicate that visual experience modifies both intrinsic and inter-areal connections.
Conclusions:
- Experience-dependent modification of neuronal circuitry extends to area 18 and projections from area 17 to 18.
- The correlation of neural activity serves as a key selection mechanism for stabilizing neuronal circuits during development.
- This study provides further evidence for activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the visual cortex.
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