Experience-dependent orientation plasticity in the visual cortex of rats chronically exposed to a single orientation.
We used the intrinsic signal optical imaging technique to assess the effect of orientation-restricted visual experience on response properties of the rat visual cortex. We placed young animals wearing goggles fitted with plano-convex cylindrical lenses in a stimulus-enriched environment for 3 weeks. Experienced orientation was over-represented in the visual cortex, which was associated with the under-representation of orthogonal orientation. These findings suggest that chronic exposure to a single orientation can modify orientation preferences even in rats lacking in orderly arrangement of preferred orientations.
O'Hashi
Kazunori
K
Department of Brain Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Hibikino 2-1, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan.
Miyashita
Masanobu
M
Tanaka
Shigeru
S
D000818:Animals; D023882:Dominance, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D005135:Eye Protective Devices / Q000009:adverse effects; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D007909:Lenses / Q000009:adverse effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*