Plasticity in the superior collicular auditory space map of adult guinea-pigs

In the guinea-pig the development and maintenance of the superior collicular (SC) auditory space map requires both auditory and visual experience. This paper reports the results of experiments in which adult animals (of different ages) were dark-reared for 4 weeks to define the extent of the period of susceptibility to visual deprivation of the SC auditory map. Dark-rearing for 4 weeks from 100, 150 or 200 days after birth caused degradation of spatial tuning and topography of multi-unit auditory responses in the SC. In contrast, animals reared in the dark from 250 days after birth showed spatially tuned auditory responses similar to those seen in normal animals. These data suggest that the SC auditory space map in the adult guinea-pig remains susceptible to visual deprivation up to 200 days after birth.