Role of context in the expression of learning-induced plasticity of single neurons in auditory cortex.
Classical conditioning produces frequency-specific plasticity of receptive fields (RFs) of single neurons in cat auditory cortex (Diamond & Weinberger, 1986). In this article we show that although plasticity may be observed during both training trials and determination of RFs, it is usually expressed in a qualitatively different form (e.g., decreased response during conditioning vs. increased response to this same conditioned stimulus in the postconditioning RF). This differential expression of learning-induced plasticity provides evidence for a role of context in neurophysiological mechanisms of learning in auditory cortex. A model of cortical neurons functioning within a mosaic of influences is presented. The Functional Mosaic model views the induction and expression of plasticity as separate processes.
Diamond
D M
DM
Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine.
Weinberger
N M
NM
D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D002415:Cats; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010897:Pitch Discrimination / Q000502:physiology*; D012025:Reflex, Pupillary