Vision First? The Development of Primary Visual Cortical Networks Is More Rapid Than the Development of Primary Motor Networks in Humans
Open Access
- 30 September 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 6 (9), e25572
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0025572
Abstract
The development of cortical functions and the capacity of the mature brain to learn are largely determined by the establishment and maintenance of neocortical networks. Here we address the human development of long-range connectivity in primary visual and motor cortices, using well-established behavioral measures - a Contour Integration test and a Finger-tapping task - that have been shown to be related to these specific primary areas, and the long-range neural connectivity within those. Possible confounding factors, such as different task requirements (complexity, cognitive load) are eliminated by using these tasks in a learning paradigm. We find that there is a temporal lag between the developmental timing of primary sensory vs. motor areas with an advantage of visual development; we also confirm that human development is very slow in both cases, and that there is a retained capacity for practice induced plastic changes in adults. This pattern of results seems to point to human-specific development of the “canonical circuits” of primary sensory and motor cortices, probably reflecting the ecological requirements of human life.Keywords
This publication has 66 references indexed in Scilit:
- Neural mechanism of activity spread in the cat motor cortex and its relation to the intrinsic connectivityThe Journal of Physiology, 2011
- Lifespan trajectory of myelin integrity and maximum motor speedNeurobiology of Aging, 2010
- Developmental changes in GABAergic mechanisms in human visual cortex across the lifespanFrontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2010
- Optical Imaging of Contextual Interactions in V1 of the Behaving MonkeyJournal of Neurophysiology, 2009
- Perceptual learning and adult cortical plasticityThe Journal of Physiology, 2009
- Learning to Link Visual ContoursNeuron, 2008
- Skill Representation in the Primary Motor Cortex After Long-Term PracticeJournal of Neurophysiology, 2007
- Magnetic stimulation of motor cortex in children: maturity of corticospinal pathway and problem of clinical applicationBrain & Development, 1997
- Functional MRI evidence for adult motor cortex plasticity during motor skill learningNature, 1995
- Intrinsic laminar lattice connections in primate visual cortexJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1983