Dynamic Changes in Hindlimb Motor Cortex Neurons during Simulated Weightlessness Revealed by Miniature 2-Photon Microscopy.

ABSTRACT: Dysfunction of motor behavior during spaceflight is linked to alterations in neuronal activities. However, the longitudinal functional changes in the motor cortex triggered by simulated weightlessness remain ambiguous. In this study, we utilized a miniaturized 2-photon microscope to examine the dynamic shifts in neuronal activities within the hindlimb motor cortex during simulated weightlessness and its subsequent recovery period at the single-cell level. Our results demonstrated that simulated weightlessness led to a progressive decline in motor behavior during open-field and rotarod tasks, which was fully reversed after a 2-week recovery period. Single-cell analysis revealed that hindlimb motor neurons could be classified as activated, inhibited, or unchanged. During active locomotion in

SUBMITTER: Fan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12446757 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature