Spinogenesis and Pruning Scales across Functional Hierarchies

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5216-08.2009
• Publication Date: 2009-03-11T21:34:03Z
• Authors: Guy N. Elston; Tomofumi Oga; Ichiro Fujita
• Keywords: Pruning

Spinogenesis and synaptic pruning during development are widely believed to subserve connectional specificity in the mature CNS via Hebbian-type reinforcement. Refinement of neuronal circuit through this “use it or lose it” principle is considered critical for brain development. Here we demonstrate that magnitude spinogenesis basal dendritic trees pyramidal cells differ dramatically among sensory, association, executive cortex. Moreover, somewhat counterintuitively, primary visual area actually more spines than they grow following onset experience. The present findings reveal process refinement differs not only according time, but also location.