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We examined the effect of sensory deprivation on thalamocortical (TC) projections to the rat primary somatosensory cortex at different postnatal ages ranging from P0 to P96. Rats had their whiskers clipped off with one or two vibrissae spared. TC axons innervating barrel cortex were specifically labeled by injecting virus expressing fluorescent proteins into the corresponding primary (VPM) and/or secondary (POm) thalamic nuclei. The density of VPM axons in deprived columns was ≈34% lower relative to spared columns with a concomitant decrease in bouton density, suggesting a deprivation-induced retraction of VPM axons. Axonal changes were reversible upon regrowth of the clipped whiskers and independent of age at deprivation, indicating the absence of a critical period for anatomical plasticity. The POm projection was not obviously altered by sensory deprivation. We suggest that retraction and regrowth of TC axons substantially contribute to long-term deprivation-dependent functional plasticity.

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/cne.22483

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Comp Neurol

Publication Date

15/11/2010

Volume

518

Pages

4629 - 4648

Keywords

Age Factors, Aging, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Axons, Brain Mapping, Dependovirus, Genetic Vectors, Green Fluorescent Proteins, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Microscopy, Confocal, Neural Pathways, Neuronal Plasticity, Neurons, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Sensory Deprivation, Somatosensory Cortex, Thalamus