PARTIAL BLOCKING OF NMDA RECEPTORS RESTRICTS PLASTIC CHANGES IN ADULT-MOUSE BARREL CORTEX

Changes of cortical body maps can be evoked in brains of adult animals by injury to sensory nerves. We investigated changes of functional representation of row C of mystacial vibrissae in the barrel cortex of mice. Plastic changes of cortical representations were mapped with 2-deoxyglucose autoradiography. Seven days after lesions of all vibrissae except row C, cortical representation of the spared row increased in width by 60%. Partial blocking of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors by subdural implants of thin sheets of Elvax impregnated with DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) prevented development of the increase of row C representation. Low level of NMDA receptor blocking did not affect significantly the basal level of 2DG uptake and stimulus evoked uptake but prevented the plastic change of the body map.