The foundations of cross-modal plasticity
Cross-modal plasticity is a striking adaptive feature of the brain, whereby the loss of one sensory modality induces cortical reorganization that leads to enhanced sensory performance in remaining modalities. Much is known about the macroscopic modifications in the brain that underly cross-modal pla...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2016-03-01
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| Series: | Communicative & Integrative Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19420889.2016.1158378 |
| _version_ | 1818965590491004928 |
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| author | Ithai Rabinowitch Jihong Bai |
| author_facet | Ithai Rabinowitch Jihong Bai |
| author_sort | Ithai Rabinowitch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cross-modal plasticity is a striking adaptive feature of the brain, whereby the loss of one sensory modality induces cortical reorganization that leads to enhanced sensory performance in remaining modalities. Much is known about the macroscopic modifications in the brain that underly cross-modal plasticity and the associated changes in sensory performance. In contrast there is relatively scant information about the molecular and cellular underpinnings of this mechanism. We hypothesized that cross-modal plasticity is a fundamental feature of the nervous system. As such, it should be found in organisms with brains that are substantially less complex than our own. Indeed, we discovered a cross-modal plasticity mechanism in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, whose nervous system is composed of only 302 neurons. Taking advantage of the simplicity of the C. elegans nervous system, we were able to comprehensively study cross-modal plasticity from molecule through circuit to behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:19:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fd09e30cbc964b6eb46c7768914153d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1942-0889 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:19:26Z |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communicative & Integrative Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fd09e30cbc964b6eb46c7768914153d02022-12-21T19:39:26ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCommunicative & Integrative Biology1942-08892016-03-019210.1080/19420889.2016.11583781158378The foundations of cross-modal plasticityIthai Rabinowitch0Jihong Bai1Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterCross-modal plasticity is a striking adaptive feature of the brain, whereby the loss of one sensory modality induces cortical reorganization that leads to enhanced sensory performance in remaining modalities. Much is known about the macroscopic modifications in the brain that underly cross-modal plasticity and the associated changes in sensory performance. In contrast there is relatively scant information about the molecular and cellular underpinnings of this mechanism. We hypothesized that cross-modal plasticity is a fundamental feature of the nervous system. As such, it should be found in organisms with brains that are substantially less complex than our own. Indeed, we discovered a cross-modal plasticity mechanism in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, whose nervous system is composed of only 302 neurons. Taking advantage of the simplicity of the C. elegans nervous system, we were able to comprehensively study cross-modal plasticity from molecule through circuit to behavior.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19420889.2016.1158378caenorhabditis eleganscalcium imagingcross-modal plasticitymechanosensationneuropeptideolfactionoptogeneticssynaptic engineering |
| spellingShingle | Ithai Rabinowitch Jihong Bai The foundations of cross-modal plasticity Communicative & Integrative Biology caenorhabditis elegans calcium imaging cross-modal plasticity mechanosensation neuropeptide olfaction optogenetics synaptic engineering |
| title | The foundations of cross-modal plasticity |
| title_full | The foundations of cross-modal plasticity |
| title_fullStr | The foundations of cross-modal plasticity |
| title_full_unstemmed | The foundations of cross-modal plasticity |
| title_short | The foundations of cross-modal plasticity |
| title_sort | foundations of cross modal plasticity |
| topic | caenorhabditis elegans calcium imaging cross-modal plasticity mechanosensation neuropeptide olfaction optogenetics synaptic engineering |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19420889.2016.1158378 |
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