Astrocyte and Neuronal Plasticity in the Somatosensory System

Figure 3

Plasticity in the barrel cortex can be induced by single-whisker experience (SWE). All whiskers except the D1 whisker were removed from one side of the face after P28 (a). Whiskers were kept deprived for 18 days followed by 5–8 days of deprived whisker regrowth, then whisker driven responses were recorded from the barrel cortex in anaesthetised mice. When whiskers were stimulated, recordings were taken from that whisker’s corresponding principal whisker column (PW; b) and the immediately surrounding columns (c). In the principal whisker column, responses to stimulation of deprived whiskers but not the intact D1 whisker were significantly downregulated compared to those in the undeprived, control animals. However, surround responses driven by stimulation of the D1 whisker were significantly increased, while responses of the D1 column driven by the stimulation of deprived whiskers were significantly suppressed compared to undeprived, control animals (, , Mann-Whitney -test).

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(b)

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