Early development of changes in cortical representation of C3 vibrissa following neonatal denervation of surrounding vibrissa receptors: a 2-deoxyglucose study in the rat.

The development of changes in cortical representation of a C3 mystacial vibrissa in the rat was studied with [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiography after neonatal unilateral ablation of all but the C3 whisker follicle. The 2-DG-labeled column, which was produced by stroking the spared C3 vibrissa, was enlarged (35%) at postnatal day (p.d.) 5 and reached 140% by p.d. 12, as compared to the control C3 vibrissa column in the opposite hemisphere. The diameter of the C3 barrel itself on the involved side was about 40% larger than that of the control side at all ages. Based upon the above postoperative survival times, at least two stages in the altered development of the spared C3 vibrissa column are suggested.