Welker E, Van der Loos H
Exp Brain Res. 1986;63(3):650-4. doi: 10.1007/BF00237487.
The whisker-to-barrel pathway of mice (an important component of the animal's somatosensory system) was studied in two experiments. In one, the cortical representation of a row of whiskers was caused to be larger by lesioning a neighbouring row of follicles, while the innervation density remained unchanged. In the second experiment mice, selectively bred for particular whisker and barrel patterns, showed for their supernumerary vibrissal follicles a relatively large cortical representation. On the basis of the second experiment we formulate a possible role of the sensory periphery in brain evolution.
在两项实验中对小鼠的触须到桶状结构通路（动物体感系统的一个重要组成部分）进行了研究。在其中一项实验中，通过损伤相邻一排毛囊使一排触须的皮质表征变大，而神经支配密度保持不变。在第二项实验中，针对特定触须和桶状模式进行选择性培育的小鼠，其多余的触须毛囊显示出相对较大的皮质表征。基于第二项实验，我们阐述了感觉外周在大脑进化中的一种可能作用。
