The unexpected consequences of a noisy environment.
A recent study found that the functional organization of auditory cortex was disrupted when rats were exposed to a moderate level of continuous noise during early development. However, this detrimental effect on auditory cortex could be remedied later by stimulating the noise-reared rats with structured sounds. These findings suggest that the endpoint of the "critical period" could be extended well into adult life, which has significant implications for our understanding of cortical plasticity.
Wang
Xiaoqin
X
Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 424, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. xwang@bme.jhu.edu
D000818:Animals; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*