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Cortical plasticity: from synapses to maps

D V Buonomano1, M M Merzenich

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, University of California Los Angeles 90095-1763, USA.

Annual Review of Neuroscience
|April 8, 1998
PubMed
Summary
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Cortical representations are dynamic and change with experience, with synaptic plasticity potentially driving these map changes. Understanding this link is key to uncovering mechanisms of learning and memory.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuroplasticity
  • Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

  • Cortical representations in adult animals are not fixed but are dynamic and modified by experience.
  • The brain allocates more area to frequently used sensory inputs, influencing behavior and learning.
  • Synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation and depression, involves molecular changes underlying learning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the fields of synaptic plasticity and cortical map plasticity.
  • To emphasize research uniting these two fields.
  • To highlight gaps in understanding the cellular mechanisms of cortical representational plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental and theoretical work.
  • Emphasis on studies linking synaptic and map plasticity.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Identification of knowledge gaps in cellular mechanisms.

    • Main Results:

    • Cortical representations are adaptable and influenced by sensory input usage.
    • Synaptic plasticity mechanisms are increasingly understood at a molecular level.
    • Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that synaptic plasticity underlies cortical map reorganization.

    Conclusions:

    • Cortical map plasticity and synaptic plasticity are interconnected.
    • Synaptic plasticity is a likely mechanism for cortical reorganization.
    • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the cellular and synaptic underpinnings of cortical representational plasticity.