Chronic activation of corticospinal tract neurons after pyramidotomy injury enhances neither behavioral recovery nor axonal sprouting.

ABSTRACT: Modulation of neural activity is a promising strategy to influence the growth of axons and improve behavioral recovery after damage to the central nervous system. The benefits of neuromodulation likely depend on optimization across multiple input parameters. Here we used a chemogenetic approach to achieve continuous, long-term elevation of neural activity in murine corticospinal tract (CST) neurons. To specifically target CST neurons, AAV2-retro-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry or matched mCherry control was injected to the cervical spinal cord of adult Emx1-Cre transgenic mice. Pilot studies verified efficient transgene expression in CST neurons and effective elevation of neural activity as assessed by cFos immunohistochemistry. In subsequent experiments mice were administered either DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry o

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11527142 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature