Matěj Hoffmann presents Global remapping of the sensory homunculus emerges early in childhood development

We will present this article, focusing on our (Zdenek Straka, Matej Hoffmann)
contribution - a computational model of neural homeostatic plasticity.

Article:
Tucciarelli, R., Bird, L., Straka, Z., Szymanska, M., Kollamkulam, M., Sonar,
H.A., Paik, J., Clode, D., Hoffmann, M., Cowie, D. and Makin, T.R., 2026. Global
remapping of the sensory homunculus emerges early in childhood development.
Nature Communications, 17(1), p.1591.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66539-5

Abstract:
Some of the most dramatic examples of neuroplasticity in the human brain follow
congenital sensory deprivation, yet the plasticity mechanisms producing this
large-scale cortical remapping remain poorly understood. Congenital malformation
of the upper-limb provides a unique temporal dissociation of developmental
plasticity mechanisms: While sensory deprivation from the absent hand is
triggered before birth, compensatory motor behaviours develop gradually
throughout childhood. Using paediatric neuroimaging and semi-ecological
behavioural analysis in children (5-7 years old) and adults (>25 years old) with
unilateral upper-limb congenital limb difference, we studied deprivation- and
use-dependent plasticity in the deprived primary somatosensory cortex and
beyond. We reveal that global remapping, encompassing the entire sensory
homunculus, is established early and maintained in adulthood. Modelling
indicates that deprivation-driven homeostatic plasticity can account for this
global remapping. Hebbian-based compensatory learning further contributes to the
magnitude of inter-individual differences observed at both childhood and
adulthood. Our findings emphasise the early establishment and stability of
cortical maps, despite extensive daily-life behavioural adaptation.