Traumatic brain injury to primary visual cortex produces long-lasting circuit dysfunction
Abstract
Primary sensory areas of the mammalian neocortex have a remarkable degree of plasticity, allowing neural circuits to adapt to dynamic environments. However, little is known about the effects of traumatic brain injury on visual circuit function. Here we used anatomy and in vivo electrophysiological recordings in adult mice to quantify neuron responses to visual stimuli two weeks and three months after mild controlled cortical impact injury to primary visual cortex (V1). We found that, although V1 remained largely intact in brain-injured mice, there was ~35% reduction in the number of neurons that affected inhibitory cells more broadly than excitatory neurons. V1 neurons showed dramatically reduced activity, impaired responses to visual stimuli and weaker size selectivity and orientation tuning in vivo. Our results show a single, mild contusion injury produces profound and long-lasting impairments in the way V1 neurons encode visual input. These findings provide initial insight into cortical circuit dysfunction following central visual system neurotrauma.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 17, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s42003-021-02808-5
Entities
People
- Alexa Tierno
- Andrzej Foik
- David C. Lyon
- Jan C. Frankowski
- Jiana R. Machhor
- Robert F Hunt
Organizations
- National Eye Institute
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- United States Department of Defense
- United States Department of Health and Human Services