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Synaptic plasticity in response to environmental events has been clearly demonstrated in the visual cortex of the rat, but no detailed data concerning the course of early synaptogenesis in this area are available. In this study, synaptogenesis in the visual cortex of hooded rats at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 postnatal days of age (P1-P10) was examined with electron microscopy. The cortex was divided into the molecular layer, the superficial layers (II-IV) and deep layers (V-VI). In the visual cortex at P1, very few synapses are present in the molecular and deep layers and virtually none in the yet undifferentiated layers II-IV that compose the cortical plate at this age. The synapses that are present are axodendritic and often symmetrical with little membrane thickening and few vesicles. Axosomatic synapses were seen as early as P3 but very rarely. There are marked increases in axodendritic synaptic density and maturity with increasing age. By P7 and P10, many synapses appear mature in form and the majority can be classified a symmetrical. Axospinal synapses first appeared at P7 and were more frequent by P10. However, this classification was somewhat uncertain since no spinal apparatus was detected. Rate of synaptogenesis appeared to increase over the ages studied and showed no signs of leveling off except in the deep layers. Synaptic length was extremely variable and did not change systematically with age.

Although neuroanatomical plasticity has been demonstrated in the rat visual cortex, no systematic data on the dendritic development of the area are available. In the present study, the visual cortex of hooded rats at 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 postnatal days of age (P1-P15) was impregnated with the rapid Golgi method. The cortex was divided into the superficial layers, II-IV, and the middle layer V. At P1, pyramidal neurons had apical shafts and the beginning of the apical terminal arch. Analysis of both basilar and oblique dendritic number showed that pyramidal neurons of the middle layer developed more quickly than those in the superficial layers. The number of lower order basilar dendritic branches reached asymptote over the examined time period, whereas the higher order branches were still increasing in number but at a decelerating rate by P15. Dendrites at all ages exhibited varicosities which were especially prominent on the thin dendritic branches of the earlier ages. Some thin, filamentous processes, termed protospines, were found on dendrites and cell bodies at P1 to P5. They seemed to decrease by P7, when a few mature spines appeared. Spines increased in number on days P10 and P15. A comparison of the data from this study with quantified Golgi studies in adult rats indicates that by P10 and P15 the number of basilar branches is in the range seen in the adult.

Normal aging results in a pronounced spatial memory deficit associated with a rapid decay of long-term potentiation at the synapses between the perforant path and spines in the medial and distal thirds of the dentate molecular layer (DML), suggesting the alteration of synaptic transmission in the dentate fascia. While the number of dentate granule cells remains unchanged, and there are no obvious pathological changes in these cells associated with increasing age, the density of their axospinous contacts has been shown to decrease. There are indications that the presynaptic element is affected by senescence before the postsynaptic element, yet little attention has been given to the fine structure of the remaining axon terminals. Therefore, we studied the axon terminals of the perforant path in the DML across three age groups.5 Male rats (Fischer 344) of each age group (3, 24 and 30 months), were perfused through the aorta.

Ischamie ruft in der Kleinhirnrinde eine ahnliche Depolarisation hervor wie in der Grosshirnrinde. Durch lokale KCl-Applikation erhalt man in der Kleinhirnrinde langsame Potentialwellen, die in Amplitude und Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit der «spreading depression» vonLeao in der Grosshirnrinde entsprechen. Ischamie und lokale Applikation von 2,4-Dinitrophenol bewirken in beiden Rindengebieten gleiche Verschiebungen der Kaliumionen.