Variable organization in cortical maps of the skin as an indication of the lifelong adaptive capacities of circuits in the mammalian brain

Cortical somatosensory maps in particular genetic strains of animals and in animals that have different prenatal, postnatal, or adult histories indicate that map organization can be modified at all times between conception and death.

Abstract

Little is understood about how integrative functions of the brain change over life. Recent studies of cortical somatosensory maps in particular genetic strains of animals and in animals that have different prenatal, postnatal, or adult histories indicate that map organization can be modified at all times between conception and death. These changes in cortical maps provide useful models for understanding changes in the integrative functions of complex brain networks throughout life.