This award supports cooperative research between Prof. Wm. M. Jenkins of UCal-SF Medical School and Prof. Eliana Guic, University of Chile, Santiago on cortical representational dynamics in behaving adult animals. They will attempt to demonstrate the changes in functional organization of the cerebral cortex of rats following surgical manipulations to the vibrissae-cortical system. A reorganization of the cortex barrel field after cauterization of the vibrissae follicles, lesioning and clipping of certain vibrissae (whiskers), will demonstrate brain plasticity subsequent to behavioral training. The study will benefit from the considerable animal training experience of Dr. Guic and colleagues while the responsibility for the design and construction of the behavioral testing apparatus with a computer program base will rest with Dr. Jenkins. Therefore the visits to Chile are essential and this work will facilitate traing young colleagues in a developing country. In addition, it will add to the understanding of restorative medicine through knowledge of brain plasticity. It will establish research methods in Dr. Guic's laboratory which will permit further research. The investment is small but will promote research in this field and in Chile where resources are limited.
