[Structural and functional reorganization of the interneuronal contacts of the cerebral cortex after a single...

Using the technique of contrasting the cerebral tissue with phosphotungstic acid, the authors studied the structural and functional status of interneuronal contacts of the molecular layer of the sensomotor cortex in the brain of Krushinsky-Molodkina rats following convulsive sound stimulation and the subsequent audiogenic convulsive paroxysm. Marked reduction in the general number of synapses 4 h after the attack was attended by transformation of some flat functionally mature contacts into concave ones, which reflects the activation of the synaptic pool. The relative levels of concave and flat mature contacts returned to the initial level 8 to 24 h later.