Optical imaging of digit topography in individual awake and anesthetized squirrel monkeys.

摘要: Topographic maps and columnar structures are fundamental to cortical sensory information processing. Most of the knowledge about detailed topographic structure comes mainly from experiments conducted on anesthetized animals. Towards goal evaluating whether change with respect behavioral demands, we used intrinsic signal optical imaging in alert monkeys examine spatial specificity representation. Specifically, somatotopies neighboring distal finger pad representation areas 3b 1 were examined same awake squirrel monkey. In comparison animal, found larger activation sizes animal area 3b, where widths overlap even non-adjacent digits. This may suggest that there is less inhibition across somatotopic map within 3b.