桶状皮层及其可塑性研究

Research progress on barrel cortex and its plasticity

桶状皮层的可塑性是近年来神经科学研究的热点。啮齿类动物的主要躯体感觉皮层(S1)具有良好的组织拓扑结构特性,该皮层无论在幼年还是成年均表现出很强的经验依赖型可塑性,而该可塑性与感觉皮层的神经环路功能的变化相关。丘脑-皮层突触被认为是发生可塑性的主要部位。在环路水平,同一功能柱内L4到L2/3层突触和L2/3层内的突触可能是实现S1可塑性的必要环节;GABA能抑制环路可能参与了S1的可塑性变化。

Synaptic plasticity of barrel cortex is one of the most widely studied topics in neuroscience in recent years.The primary somatosensory cortex of the rodent has a good topology character,which provides an ideal experimental model for plasticity study.This system displays very strong experience-dependent plasticity both during development and in adulthood.The changes of sensory cortex′s neural circuit can induce experience-dependent plasticity.In the synaptic level,thalamocortical synapse is considered to be the main location of plasticity.In the circuit level,both synapses from layer 4 to layer 2/3 and those within layer 2/3 are also the necessary parts of achieving synaptic plasticity in primary somatosensory cortex.The GABAergic inhibitory circuit may be involved in this plasticity of S1,but the exact mechanism remains unknown.