Eysel UT, Schweigart G. Increased Receptive Field Size In The Surround of Chronic Lesions In The Adult Cat Visual Cortex.Cerebal Cortex, March 1999;9:101-109

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This research investigated the receptive cells in the visual cortex before, two days and two months after focal ibotenic acid lesions in the adult cat visual cortex, and found signs of receptive field plasticity in the surroundings of the chronic, but not the acute and sub acute excitotoxic lesions.

In the sub acute state, receptive field sizes of cells at the border of the lesion were reduced in size or remained unchanged. Remapping of cortical receptive fields two months later revealed a number of cells with multifold enlarged receptive fields at the border of the lesion. The cells with the enlarged receptive fields displayed orientation and direction selectivity like normal cells. The size increase appeared not specifically directed towards the scotoma; however, the enlarged receptive fields can reduce the extent of a cortical scotoma, since previously unresponsive regions of the visual field activate cortical cells at the border of the lesion.

Cerebal Cortex, March 1999;9:101-109.