Tuning down synapses to remap the brain and adapt behavior – syTune

Functional sensory maps in the cerebral cortex reorganize in response to peripheral injury, with active modalities gaining cortical space at the expense of less active regions. Map expansion drives homeostatic and activity-dependent strengthening and weakening of pre-existing synapses to promote the recovery of altered sensorimotor skills. While most studies have classically focused on the growth and stabilization of synapses, whether spine elimination also serves critical function during cortical remapping remains unknown. The project syTune grounds on solid preliminary results and combine state-of-the-art imaging, electrophysiological and genetic tools in vivo to address for the first time to what extent the activity-dependent removal of spines in the barrel cortex causes cortical map expansion and the recovery of altered sensorimotor skills upon sensory deafferentation. A better understanding of synapse elimination should pave the way for new studies related to brain diseases.