Dissecting the compensatory mechanism after partial spinal cord injury
Event details
| Date | 26.11.2012 |
| Hour | 17:15 › 18:15 |
| Speaker | Tadashi Isa, M.D. & Ph.D., National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, JAPAN |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
It is generally accepted that the direct pathway from the motor cortex to the spinal motor neurons (direct cortico-motoneuronal (CM) connection) is the basis of fractionated digit movements in higher primates. Such concept is largely derived from the evolution of the CM pathway and finger dexterity, and observation of hand movements in non-human primates with pyramidotomy or patients with brain infarction. However, in addition to the direct CM pathway, there are several indirect routes, such as those mediated by reticulospinal neurons and spinal interneurons. Especially, when the corticospinal tract is lesioned at the lower cervical level (C5), the fractionated finger movements were found to exhibit marked recovery in macaque monkeys. Applying various experimental techniques such as brain imaging and reversible inactivation to this animal model, we have studied the neural mechanism of functional recovery following the partial spinal cord injury. We found that propriospinal neurons (PNs) in the mid-cervical segments are responsible for the recovery at the spinal level, and different cortical regions are involved at different recovery stages. Furthermore, we also found that the ventral striatum modulates the recovery process through the cooperation with the motor cortex. On the other hand, we assessed the normal function of the PNs by using a novel pathway-selective and reversible blocking with double virus vectors in intact non-human primates. This technique is expected to dissect the neural mechanisms responsible for the compensatory process in future studies.
References:
Nishimura et al. (2007) Science 318:1150-1155.
Nishimura et al,. (2011) PLoS ONE 6: e24854
Kinoshita et al. (2012) Nature 487: 235-238
Alstermark and Isa (2012) Ann Rev Neurosci 35:559-578.
References:
Nishimura et al. (2007) Science 318:1150-1155.
Nishimura et al,. (2011) PLoS ONE 6: e24854
Kinoshita et al. (2012) Nature 487: 235-238
Alstermark and Isa (2012) Ann Rev Neurosci 35:559-578.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Prof G. Courtine