title: Cross-modal synaptic plasticity in adult primary sensory cortices.
abstract: Sensory loss leads to widespread adaptation of brain circuits to allow an organism to navigate its environment with its remaining senses, which is broadly referred to as cross-modal plasticity. Such adaptation can be observed even in the primary sensory cortices, and falls into two distinct categories: recruitment of the deprived sensory cortex for processing the remaining senses, which we term 'cross-modal recruitment', and experience-dependent refinement of the spared sensory cortices referred to as 'compensatory plasticity.' Here we will review recent studies demonstrating that cortical adaptation to sensory loss involves LTP/LTD and homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Cross-modal synaptic plasticity is observed in adults, hence cross-modal sensory deprivation may be an effective way to promote plasticity in adult primary sensory cortices.
authors: Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States. Electronic address: heykyounglee@jhu.edu.
authors: Hey-Kyoung
authors: HK
authors: Lee
authors: Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States.
authors: Jessica L
authors: JL
authors: Whitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D066191:Sensorimotor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*