Effects of Monocular Deprivation on Parvalbumin Neurons in Rat Visual Cortex
Author Information
Author(s): Marco Mainardi, Silvia Landi, Nicoletta Berardi, Lamberto Maffei, Tommaso Pizzorusso
Primary Institution: Laboratory of Neurobiology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
Hypothesis
Does long-term monocular deprivation differentially affect the visual response of inhibitory neurons in the rat visual cortex?
Conclusion
The study found that parvalbumin (PV) cells are particularly resistant to the effects of monocular deprivation, while other inhibitory neuron populations showed reduced responsiveness.
Supporting Evidence
- Monocular deprivation decreased visually induced c-Fos activation in GAD67 and CR positive neurons.
- CB positive neurons showed a decrease in expression due to monocular deprivation.
- PV cells maintained normal levels of c-Fos induction despite monocular deprivation.
Takeaway
When one eye of a rat is covered for a long time, most brain cells change how they respond to visual input, but a special type of cell called parvalbumin cells don't change much at all.
Methodology
The study used immunohistochemistry to assess c-Fos expression in various inhibitory neuron populations after monocular deprivation in rats.
Limitations
The study did not assess the functional implications of the reduced expression of calbindin in the CB population.
Participant Demographics
Long Evans hooded rats, specifically P21 at the start of the study.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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