# Cross modal plasticity following loss of vision at different developmental stages:  Cortical function, connections and compensatory behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2022 · $371,780

## Abstract

A distinguishing feature of the mammalian neocortex is its remarkable ability to change over a lifetime,
particularly during early development. The development of cortical fields and their connections is highly
dependent on the incoming sensory inputs they receive from the various sensory organs, such as the eyes and
the skin. This input, together with the unique combinations of sensory information available in the environment
shapes the neocortex to generate optimal behavior. We know from previous studies in our own laboratory that
very early loss of input from the eyes leads to massive changes in the brain, such that all of what would
normally be the primary visual cortex (V1) contains neurons that respond to somatosensory and auditory
stimulation. This reorganized V1 receives ectopic input from thalamic nuclei and cortical fields associated with
somatosensory and auditory processing. The current proposal addresses several fundamental questions
raised by these previous findings: 1) How does the age of onset of blindness differentially impact cortical
connectivity? 2) What are single-neuron response properties in reorganized V1 and S1, and does age of
blindness onset impact these properties? 3) What is the relationship between functional and anatomical
changes in V1 and S1 and compensatory behaviors mediated by the spared sensory systems? Our animal
model, the short-tailed opossum, is highly altricial at birth (equivalent to embryonic day 11 in the mouse),
allowing ex utero manipulations to the nervous system at developmental time points that would be in utero in
other mammals. In these experiments, bilateral enucleations will be made at specific developmental
milestones: 1) Prior to the onset of spontaneous activity in the retina, before retinal ganglion cells have
reached their subcortical targets, and before thalamocortical axons have innervated the neocortex; 2) When
spontaneous activity in the retina is present and retinogeniculate and thalamocortical axons have innervated
their targets; 3) Just after eye opening, when sensory driven activity in the retina is present and thalamocortical
and corticocortical connections have formed. Following enucleations, animals will be assessed at several
different time points. These studies are novel in scope in that they interrogate how the of age of vision loss
affects the reorganization of brain circuits and behavior, and if functional and anatomical changes to the
neocortex are linked to compensatory behavior. These data can direct therapeutic interventions (e.g. tactile
training based behavior), and even allow predictions for behavioral outcomes following retinal implants or gene
targeted therapies performed at different ages.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10504252
- **Project number:** 1R01EY034303-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** LEAH ANN KRUBITZER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $371,780
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10504252

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10504252, Cross modal plasticity following loss of vision at different developmental stages:  Cortical function, connections and compensatory behavior (1R01EY034303-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10504252. Licensed CC0.

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