Sensory deprivation causes motif-specific changes in inhibitory connection strength.

<p>Voltage-clamp recordings at a holding potential of 0 mV from L2/3 pyramidal neurons in barrel-related columns representing intact (left, <i>n</i> = 23), trimmed (center left, <i>n</i> = 23), or previously deprived whiskers after regrowth for 1 mo (center right, <i>n</i> = 19) or 3 mo (right, <i>n</i> = 17). IPSCs were evoked by optical stimulation of interneurons in the indicated cortical layers; traces of all individual IPSCs (gray) were aligned to the time at which the rising IPSC reached half-maximal amplitude. Bold black traces indicate group averages. Colored columns represent the mean integrated current (charge transfer) per IPSC. Red columns mark significant differences associated with partial whisker regrowth (<i>p</i><0.05; ANOVA); dark yellow columns indicate groups whose means differ from the state of partial whisker regrowth (Bonferroni-corrected <i>t</i> test). Asterisks mark pairwise differences remaining after whisker regrowth for 3 mo (<i>p</i><0.05; ANOVA followed by Bonferroni-corrected <i>t</i> test). See also <a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001798#pbio.1001798.s003" target="_blank">Figure S3</a> and <a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001798#pbio.1001798.s004" target="_blank">Figure S4</a>.