Theory for the alignment of cortical feature maps during development
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Bressloff, Paul C
Oster, Andrew M
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We present a developmental model of ocular dominance column formation that takes into account the existence of an array of intrinsically specified cytochrome oxidase blobs. We assume that there is some molecular substrate for the blobs early in development, which generates a spatially periodic modulation of experience-dependent plasticity. We determine the effects of such a modulation on a competitive Hebbian mechanism for the modification of the feedforward afferents from the left and right eyes. We show how alternating left and right eye dominated columns can develop, in which the blobs are aligned with the centers of the ocular dominance columns and receive a greater density of feedforward connections, thus becoming defined extrinsically. More generally, our results suggest that the presence of periodically distributed anatomical markers early in development could provide a mechanism for the alignment of cortical feature maps.
Date Issued
2010-08
Date Acceptance
2010-08-03
Citation
Physical Review E, 2010, 82 (2)
ISSN
1539-3755
Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review E
Volume
82
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
©2010 American Physical Society
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/physreve.82.021920
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
021920
Date Publish Online
2010-08-23