@article {6963, title = {Structural plasticity within the barrel cortex during initial phases of whisker-dependent learning.}, journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience}, volume = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Apr 23}, pages = {6078-83}, 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.

}, issn = {1529-2401}, doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4919-12.2014}, author = {Kuhlman, Sandra J and O{\textquoteright}Connor, Daniel H and Fox, Kevin and Svoboda, Karel} } @article {4589, title = {Regular spiking and intrinsic bursting pyramidal cells show orthogonal forms of experience-dependent plasticity in layer V of barrel cortex.}, journal = {Neuron}, volume = {73}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Jan 26}, pages = {391-404}, abstract = {

Most functional plasticity studies in the cortex have focused on layers (L) II/III and IV, whereas relatively little is known of LV. Structural measurements of dendritic spines in\ vivo suggest some specialization among LV cell subtypes. We therefore studied experience-dependent plasticity in the barrel cortex using intracellular recordings to distinguish regular spiking (RS) and intrinsic bursting (IB) subtypes. Postsynaptic potentials and suprathreshold responses in\ vivo revealed a remarkable dichotomy in RS and IB cell plasticity; spared whisker potentiation occurred in IB but not RS cells while deprived whisker depression occurred in RS but not IB cells. Similar RS/IB differences were found in the LII/III to V connections in brain slices. Modeling studies showed that subthreshold changes predicted the suprathreshold changes. These studies demonstrate the major functional partition of plasticity within a single cortical layer and reveal the LII/III to LV connection as a major excitatory locus of cortical plasticity.

}, issn = {1097-4199}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2011.11.034}, author = {Jacob, Vincent and Petreanu, Leopoldo and Wright, Nick and Svoboda, Karel and Fox, Kevin} } @article {4298, title = {Structural plasticity underlies experience-dependent functional plasticity of cortical circuits.}, journal = {The Journal of Neuroscience}, volume = {30}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Apr 7}, pages = {4927-32}, abstract = {

The stabilization of new spines in the barrel cortex is enhanced after whisker trimming, but its relationship to experience-dependent plasticity is unclear. Here we show that in wild-type mice, whisker potentiation and spine stabilization are most pronounced for layer 5 neurons at the border between spared and deprived barrel columns. In homozygote alphaCaMKII-T286A mice, which lack experience-dependent potentiation of responses to spared whiskers, there is no increase in new spine stabilization at the border between barrel columns after whisker trimming. Our data provide a causal link between new spine synapses and plasticity of adult cortical circuits and suggest that alphaCaMKII autophosphorylation plays a role in the stabilization but not formation of new spines.

}, keywords = {Animals, Cerebral Cortex, Dendritic Spines, Inbred C57BL, Learning, Male, Mice, Nerve Net, Neuronal Plasticity, Synapses, Transgenic, Vibrissae}, issn = {1529-2401}, doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6403-09.2010}, author = {Wilbrecht, Linda and Holtmaat, Anthony and Wright, Nick and Fox, Kevin and Svoboda, Karel} }