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A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity
Published on: May 7, 2017
Early valproic acid exposure alters functional organization in the primary visual cortex
Fernanda Pohl-Guimaraes1, Thomas E Krahe, Alexandre E Medina
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298-0709, USA.
Experimental Neurology
|January 11, 2011
Summary
Early exposure to valproic acid (Val), an antiepileptic drug, disrupts visual cortex development in ferrets, impairing orientation selectivity and potentially causing sensory deficits in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Visual System Development
Background:
- Epilepsy affects 0.5-1% of pregnant women, requiring antiepileptic drug (AED) use.
- AEDs can cause sensory deficits in offspring.
- Neuronal orientation selectivity is vital for visual perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of early valproic acid (Val) and levetiracetam (Lev) exposure on cortical neuron orientation selectivity and column organization.
- To determine if developmental AED exposure impacts mature visual processing.
Main Methods:
- Ferrets received Val, Lev, or saline every other day between postnatal days 10-30.
- Optical imaging of intrinsic signals and single-unit recordings were performed at postnatal days 42-84.
- Assessed orientation selectivity and map contrast in the visual cortex.
Main Results:
- Val exposure decreased the contrast of orientation maps in the visual cortex.
- Lev exposure did not significantly alter orientation map contrast.
- Single-unit recordings showed reduced cellular orientation selectivity in Val-treated ferrets.
Conclusions:
- Early developmental exposure to valproic acid disrupts cortical processing of visual information.
- These findings suggest a neurobiological basis for sensory deficits observed in fetal anticonvulsant syndrome.
- Valproic acid's impact on visual cortex development highlights potential risks of AED use during pregnancy.
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01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
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01:24Vision
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.