Effects of sensory denervation and deprivation on a single cortical vibrissal column studied with 2-deoxyglucose

The plasticity of a single column in the first somatosensory cortex (SI) was studied with [C14] 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) autoradiography. Columnar labelling of cortical representation of the C3 vibrissa was obtained by stimulating this vibrissa after an injection of 2DG. Plastic changes were caused either by surgical denervation (follicle removal) or deprivation (plucking out) of all vibrissae except C3. The development of changes in the columnar profile of the spared vibrissa cortical representation was studied. Both treatments caused an expansion of the spared whisker column into the surrounding barrel field cortex. Denervation produced an immediate enlargement accompanied later by a loss of columnar shape and a decrease of metabolic activity in the core of the column. Effects of deprivation were visible later and were less pronounced, the columnar shape was retained.