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The contribution of sensory experience to the maturation of orientation selectivity in ferret visual cortex.

Publication ,  Journal Article
White, LE; Coppola, DM; Fitzpatrick, D
Published in: Nature
June 28, 2001

Sensory experience begins when neural circuits in the cerebral cortex are still immature; however, the contribution of experience to cortical maturation remains unclear. In the visual cortex, the selectivity of neurons for oriented stimuli at the time of eye opening is poor and increases dramatically after the onset of visual experience. Here we investigate whether visual experience has a significant role in the maturation of orientation selectivity and underlying cortical circuits using two forms of deprivation: dark rearing, which completely eliminates experience, and binocular lid suture, which alters the pattern of sensory driven activity. Orientation maps were present in dark-reared ferrets, but fully mature levels of tuning were never attained. In contrast, only rudimentary levels of orientation selectivity were observed in lid-sutured ferrets. Despite these differences, horizontal connections in both groups were less extensive and less clustered than normal, suggesting that long-range cortical processing is not essential for the expression of orientation selectivity, but may be needed for the full maturation of tuning. Thus, experience is beneficial or highly detrimental to cortical maturation, depending on the pattern of sensory driven activity.

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Published In

Nature

DOI

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

June 28, 2001

Volume

411

Issue

6841

Start / End Page

1049 / 1052

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Visual Cortex
  • Sensory Deprivation
  • Sensation
  • Orientation
  • Neural Pathways
  • Male
  • Learning
  • General Science & Technology
  • Ferrets
 

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White, L. E., Coppola, D. M., & Fitzpatrick, D. (2001). The contribution of sensory experience to the maturation of orientation selectivity in ferret visual cortex. Nature, 411(6841), 1049–1052. https://doi.org/10.1038/35082568
White, L. E., D. M. Coppola, and D. Fitzpatrick. “The contribution of sensory experience to the maturation of orientation selectivity in ferret visual cortex.Nature 411, no. 6841 (June 28, 2001): 1049–52. https://doi.org/10.1038/35082568.
White LE, Coppola DM, Fitzpatrick D. The contribution of sensory experience to the maturation of orientation selectivity in ferret visual cortex. Nature. 2001 Jun 28;411(6841):1049–52.
White, L. E., et al. “The contribution of sensory experience to the maturation of orientation selectivity in ferret visual cortex.Nature, vol. 411, no. 6841, June 2001, pp. 1049–52. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/35082568.
White LE, Coppola DM, Fitzpatrick D. The contribution of sensory experience to the maturation of orientation selectivity in ferret visual cortex. Nature. 2001 Jun 28;411(6841):1049–1052.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nature

DOI

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

June 28, 2001

Volume

411

Issue

6841

Start / End Page

1049 / 1052

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Visual Cortex
  • Sensory Deprivation
  • Sensation
  • Orientation
  • Neural Pathways
  • Male
  • Learning
  • General Science & Technology
  • Ferrets