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Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging
Published on: December 12, 2012
Development of horizontal intrinsic connections in cat striate cortex
Experimental Brain Research
|January 1, 1986
Summary
The study reveals an innate patchy network of horizontal connections in the cat
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cortical Development
- Visual System Anatomy
Background:
- Intracortical injections reveal patchy staining in cat striate cortex.
- These patches represent dense accumulations of neurons and axonal arborizations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the tangential organization and development of intrinsic cortical connections.
- To understand the role of visual experience in shaping these connections.
Main Methods:
- Used flat-mount preparation of area 17 in cats.
- Employed horseradish peroxidase conjugated with wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP) for tracing neural connections.
Main Results:
- Identified patchy connections with diameters of 200-400 microns and center-to-center distances of 400-800 microns.
- Observed age-dependent changes: exuberant connections in young cats, decreasing with age.
- Found that long-term binocular deprivation nearly completely disrupts these intrinsic connections.
Conclusions:
- Striate cortex possesses an inborn pattern of discrete horizontal connections.
- Visual experience, particularly contour vision, is crucial for shaping and maintaining this network.
- Developmental plasticity and experience-dependent refinement are key features of cortical circuitry.
