title: Rapid plasticity of visual responses in the adult lateral geniculate nucleus.
abstract: Compared to the developing visual system, where neuronal plasticity has been well characterized at multiple levels, little is known about plasticity in the adult, particularly within subcortical structures. We made intraocular injections of 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB) in adult cats to block visual responses in On-center retinal ganglion cells and examined the consequences on visual responses in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus. In contrast to current views of retinogeniculate organization, which hold that On-center LGN neurons should become silent with APB, we find that ∼50% of On-center neurons rapidly develop Off-center responses. The time course of these emergent responses and the actions of APB in the retina indicate the plasticity occurs within the LGN. These results suggest there is greater divergence of retinogeniculate connections than previously recognized and that functionally silent, nonspecific retinal inputs can serve as a substrate for rapid plasticity in the adult.
authors: Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
authors: Bartlett D
authors: BD
authors: Moore
authors: Caitlin W
authors: CW
authors: Kiley
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Sun
authors: W Martin
authors: WM
authors: Usrey
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000613:Aminobutyrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004596:Electroretinography; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000613:Aminobutyrates; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; C012729:2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid