Retinofugal projections following early lesions of the visual cortex in the ferret.
Extensive lesions of the occipital cortex comprising the developing occipital visual areas and beyond in young ferrets (postnatal day 5) are followed by massive, but incomplete, degeneration of the lateral geniculate (LGN) and lateralis posterior (LP) nuclei of the thalamus, and minor volumetric reduction of the superior colliculus. Retinal projections (revealed by intraocular tracer injections), while reduced, remain confined to their territories of normal termination, both in the adult and throughout development. Comparisons with other mammalian species point to several common features in the developmental plasticity of retinofugal pathway.
Restrepo
C Ernesto
CE
Division of Neuroanatomy and Brain Development, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, S-17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
Manger
Paul R
PR
Innocenti
Giorgio M
GM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005289:Ferrets; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000293:injuries*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*