Abstract
BackgroundTopographic reorganization of central maps following peripheral nerve injury has been well characterized. Despite extensive documentation of these physiological changes, the underlying anatomical correlates have yet to be fully explored. In this study, we used Golgi impregnation and light microscopy to assess dendritic morphology following denervation of the glabrous hand surface in adult primates.ResultsAfter survival durations that permit complete physiologically-defined reorganization, we find a systematic change in the dendritic arborization pattern of both layer II/III pyramidal and layer IV spiny stellate cells in the contralateral hand region of area 3b, compared to unaffected cortical areas. In general, our analyses indicate a progressive expansion of distal regions of the dendritic arbor with no appreciable changes proximally. This pattern of distal dendritic elaboration occurs for both basilar and apical dendrites.ConclusionsThese observations are consistent with the notion that latent inputs gain expression in reorganized cortex after nerve injury via their influence through contacts with more distally located termination sites.
Highlights
Topographic reorganization of central maps following peripheral nerve injury has been well characterized
The seminal experiments of Merzenich, Kaas and colleagues [1,2] have proved instrumental in moving the field beyond this restrictive mindset by showing that the central representation of the skin surface is subject to dramatic modification following peripheral nerve injury in adult primates
Layer II/III pyramidal neurons We found a greater number of intersections in the distal halves of dendritic arbors of pyramidal cells in deprived relative to control cortex
Summary
Topographic reorganization of central maps following peripheral nerve injury has been well characterized. The seminal experiments of Merzenich, Kaas and colleagues [1,2] have proved instrumental in moving the field beyond this restrictive mindset by showing that the central representation of the skin surface is subject to dramatic modification following peripheral nerve injury in adult primates. On the foundation of these observations, great strides have been made in understanding the mechanisms [3,4,5,6,7,8,9] and extent [10,11,12,13] of this phenomenon These findings have generalized beyond sensory systems and collectively have been interpreted as reflective of fundamental properties of the nervous system.
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