Long-term in vivo imaging of experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in adult cortex

Trachtenberg, J. T., Chen, B. E., Knott, G. W., Feng, G. P., Sanes, J. R., Welker, E., Svoboda, K. (December 2002) Long-term in vivo imaging of experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in adult cortex. Nature, 420 (6917). pp. 788-794. ISSN 0028-0836

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12490942
DOI: 10.1038/nature01273

Abstract

Do new synapses form in the adult cortex to support experience-dependent plasticity? To address this question, we repeatedly imaged individual pyramidal neurons in the mouse barrel cortex over periods of weeks. We found that, although dendritic structure is stable, some spines appear and disappear. Spine lifetimes vary greatly: stable spines, about 50% of the population, persist for at least a month, whereas the remainder are present for a few days or less. Serial-section electron microscopy of imaged dendritic segments revealed retrospectively that spine sprouting and retraction are associated with synapse formation and elimination. Experience-dependent plasticity of cortical receptive fields was accompanied by increased synapse turnover. Our measurements suggest that sensory experience drives the formation and elimination of synapses and that these changes might underlie adaptive remodelling of neural circuits.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: organism description > animal > developmental stage > adult
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > cerebral cortex
Investigative techniques and equipment > imaging
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell functions > synaptic plasticity
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Svoboda lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: December 2002
Date Deposited: 30 Oct 2013 20:42
Last Modified: 30 Oct 2013 20:42
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/28799

Actions (login required)

Administrator's edit/view item Administrator's edit/view item
CSHL HomeAbout CSHLResearchEducationNews & FeaturesCampus & Public EventsCareersGiving