Early sensory experience influences the development of multisensory thalamocortical and intracortical connections of primary sensory cortices.

ABSTRACT: The nervous system integrates information from multiple senses. This multisensory integration already occurs in primary sensory cortices via direct thalamocortical and corticocortical connections across modalities. In humans, sensory loss from birth results in functional recruitment of the deprived cortical territory by the spared senses but the underlying circuit changes are not well known. Using tracer injections into primary auditory, somatosensory, and visual cortex within the first postnatal month of life in a rodent model (Mongolian gerbil) we show that multisensory thalamocortical connections emerge before corticocortical connections but mostly disappear during development. Early auditory, somatosensory, or visual deprivation increases multisensory connections via axonal reorganizat

SUBMITTER: Henschke JU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5871574 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature