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Whiskers and barrels: irreversible induction, or ipsilateral maintenance?
Neuroscience Letters
|February 23, 1981
Summary
Sensory cortex barrel formation is prevented by maxillary nerve section on postnatal day 3. By day 4, barrel development is irreversible, indicating a critical developmental window for sensory input.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Sensory Systems
Background:
- Barrel formation in the somatosensory cortex is a well-established model for studying neural development.
- Sensory input is crucial for the proper organization of cortical maps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the critical period for sensory input in establishing cortical barrels.
- To investigate the role of the maxillary nerve in barrel formation.
Main Methods:
- Sectioning of the maxillary nerve at different postnatal days (day 3 and day 4).
- Examination of barrel formation in the contralateral and ipsilateral sensory cortex.
Main Results:
- Maxillary nerve section on postnatal day 3 prevented barrel formation in the contralateral sensory cortex.
- Maxillary nerve section on postnatal day 4 did not affect barrel formation, even with ipsilateral nerve section.
- This suggests barrels are irreversibly induced by day 4 via contralateral maxillary nerve influence.
Conclusions:
- Postnatal day 4 represents a critical window for the irreversible induction of sensory cortex barrels.
- Continued existence of barrels is independent of ipsilateral nerve input after this critical period.