ABSTRACT
Similar evidence for the extension of cortical connections in regions of deactivation come from experiments where bilateral retinal lesions deprive a region of primary visual cortex of its normal source of activation. Despite overwhelming evidence that sprouting of new connections was possible in the adult central nervous system, the spatial extent of the new growth was restricted so that the potential for any significant functional contribution through this mechanism was doubted. Moreover, since most of the reorganization of sensory representations in cortex could be easily explained by local changes in synaptic strength, there was no impetus to invoke sprouting as an important factor in the functional reorganization of pathways in the adult central nervous system. To maximize axon growth in the adult central nervous system, the ideal experimental condition would involve simultaneous administration of growth-promoting agents and blockade of growth inhibitors.
