Journal: bioRxiv
Article Title: Tuning metaplasticity in the adult visual cortex using flickering light
doi: 10.64898/2026.02.16.706197
Figure Lengend Snippet: a , Experimental timeline. In separate experiments, effects of MD were measured using acute single unit recordings with translaminar electrodes or VEPs from chronically implanted electrodes. b , Recordings were performed in V1b contralateral to the previously deprived eye (blue) in awake head-fixed mice viewing grating stimuli. c , Cumulative distribution of ODI values for single-units recorded across all layers of V1b in mice exposed to CL (n = 7), 40 Hz (n = 9), or 60 Hz (n = 8) flicker prior to 4 days of MD. Neurons from animals receiving either 40 Hz or 60 Hz light flicker show a statistically significant leftward shift in their ODI as compared to CL (control) animals. KS test with Bonferroni correction: CL vs 40 Hz: **p = 0.0014; CL vs 60 Hz: ****p < 0.0001; 40 Hz vs 60 Hz: p = 0.7592. d , Group comparisons (averaged unit ODI values per animal) indicate a statistically significant OD shift in animals receiving light flicker (CL: 0.2031 ± 0.053037, 40 Hz: 0.03926 ± 0.03970, 60 Hz: 0.02976 ± 0.05470; one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test: p = 0.0386; CL vs 40 Hz: P = 0.0487, CL vs 60 Hz: p = 0.0420. e , Amplitudes of VEPs elicited through the ipsilateral (yellow) and contralateral (blue) eyes were not significantly altered by treatment with CL, 40 Hz, or 60 Hz flicker. f , ODI values from VEP recordings were unchanged by any treatment but shifted by MD in the flicker groups. Comparing ODI values across timepoints reveals no significant changes for the CL group (n = 17; Pre-Treat: 0.3634 ± 0.03115, Post-Treat: 0.3625 ± 0.03105, Post-MD: 0.2532 ± 0.03980, repeated-measures one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, p = 0.0431; Pre-Treat vs Post-Treat: p = 0.9995, Pre-Treat vs Post-MD: p = 0.0949, Post-Treat vs Post-MD: p = 0.1270) whereas both 40 Hz and 60 Hz groups show a significant reduction in ODI values at the Post-MD timepoint (40 Hz, n = 17; Pre-Treat: 0.3769 ± 0.03648, Post-Treat: 0.3965 ± 0.04076, Post-MD: 0.01738 ± 0.05676, repeated-measures one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, p < 0.0001; Pre-Treat vs Post-Treat: p = 0.7329, Pre-Treat vs Post-MD: p = 0.0002, Post-Treat vs Post-MD: p < 0.0001; 60 Hz, n = 15; Pre-Treat: 0.4247 ± 0.02797, Post-Treat: 0.3026 ± 0.05977, Post-MD: -0.2434 ± 0.05722, repeated-measures one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, p < 0.0001; Pre-Treat vs Post-Treat: p = 0.1175, Pre-Treat vs Post-MD: p < 0.0001, Post-Treat vs Post-MD: p < 0.0001). g , Comparing the change in ODI from pre- to post-MD shows little effect of prior exposure to CL, but a significant effect of light-flicker. (CL: -0.1110 ± 0.04909, 40 Hz: -0.3302 ± 0.07826, 60 Hz: -0.6681 ± 0.05831, one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test, p < 0.0001; CL vs 40 Hz: p = 0.0428, CL vs 60 Hz: p < 0.0001, 40 Hz vs 60 Hz: p = 0.0016). h , Grouped average VEP waveforms for contralateral (blue) and ipsilateral (yellow) eyes across treatment condition and MD timepoint. Scale bar: 100 µV, 50 msec. i , Change in contralateral (deprived) eye VEP magnitude after MD (CL, 94.47 ± 8.293 %; 40 Hz, 80.02 ± 8.123 %; 60 Hz, 53.47 ± 9.258 %, one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparison test, p = 0.0059; CL vs 40 Hz: p = 0.4466, CL vs 60 Hz: p = 0.0044, 40 Hz vs 60 Hz: p = 0.0864). j , Change in ipsilateral (non-deprived) eye VEP magnitude after MD (CL, 121.4 ± 13.13 %; 40 Hz, 182.2 ± 16.59 %; 60 Hz, 152.6 ± 18.16 %, one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparison test, p = 0.0302; CL vs 40 Hz: p = 0.0227, CL vs 60 Hz: p = 0.3659, 40 Hz vs 60 Hz: p = 0.4055). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. k , Summary of the different responses to 4d MD in the 3 groups.
Article Snippet: Proper delivery of light-flicker stimulation was confirmed using an amplified photodetector (Thorlabs, PDA25K2).
Techniques: Control, Comparison
