Abstract
We report learning-related structural plasticity in layer 1 branches of pyramidal neurons in the barrel cortex, a known site of sensorimotor integration. In mice learning an active, whisker-dependent object localization task, layer 2/3 neurons showed enhanced spine growth during initial skill acquisition that both preceded and predicted expert performance. Preexisting spines were stabilized and new persistent spines were formed. These findings suggest rapid changes in connectivity between motor centers and sensory cortex guide subsequent sensorimotor learning.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 6078-6083 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Neuroscience |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 17 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Barrel cortex
- Object localization
- Perceptual learning
- Plasticity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience