Sensorimotor experience influences recovery of forelimb abilities but not tissue loss after focal cortical compression in adult rats.

ABSTRACT: Sensorimotor activity has been shown to play a key role in functional outcome after extensive brain damage. This study was aimed at assessing the influence of sensorimotor experience through subject-environment interactions on the time course of both lesion and gliosis volumes as well as on the recovery of forelimb sensorimotor abilities following focal cortical injury. The lesion consisted of a cortical compression targeting the forepaw representational area within the primary somatosensory cortex of adult rats. After the cortical lesion, rats were randomly subjected to various postlesion conditions: unilateral C5-C6 dorsal root transection depriving the contralateral cortex from forepaw somatosensory inputs, standard housing or an enriched environment promoting sensorimotor experience an

SUBMITTER: Martinez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3040209 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature