Spinal cord associative plasticity improves forelimb sensorimotor function after cervical injury.

ABSTRACT: Associative plasticity occurs when two stimuli converge on a common neural target. Previous efforts to promote associative plasticity have targeted cortex, with variable and moderate effects. In addition, the targeted circuits are inferred, rather than tested directly. In contrast, we sought to target the strong convergence between motor and sensory systems in the spinal cord. We developed spinal cord associative plasticity, precisely timed pairing of motor cortex and dorsal spinal cord stimulations, to target this interaction. We tested the hypothesis that properly timed paired stimulation would strengthen the sensorimotor connections in the spinal cord and improve recovery after spinal cord injury. We tested physiological effects of paired stimulation, the pathways that mediate it, and i

SUBMITTER: Pal A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10200304 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature