Sleep and plasticity in the visual cortex: more than meets the eye

Publication date: June 2017
Source:Current Opinion in Neurobiology, Volume 44
Author(s): Marcos G Frank
The visual cortex has provided key insights into how experience shapes cortical circuitry. Scientists have identified how different manipulations of visual experience trigger distinct forms of plasticity as well as many of the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Intriguingly, experience is not the only factor driving plasticity in the visual system. Sleep is also required for the full expression of plasticity in the developing visual cortex. In this review, I discuss what we have learned about the role of sleep in visual cortical plasticity and what it tells us about sleep function.



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