Reorganization of Intact Descending Motor Circuits to Replace Lost Connections After Injury.

ABSTRACT: Neurons have a limited capacity to regenerate in the adult central nervous system (CNS). The inability of damaged axons to re-establish original circuits results in permanent functional impairment after spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite abortive regeneration of axotomized CNS neurons, limited spontaneous recovery of motor function emerges after partial SCI in humans and experimental rodent models of SCI. It is hypothesized that this spontaneous functional recovery is the result of the reorganization of descending motor pathways spared by the injury, suggesting that plasticity of intact circuits is a potent alternative conduit to enhance functional recovery after SCI. In support of this hypothesis, several studies have shown that after unilateral corticospinal tract (CST) lesion (unilateral

SUBMITTER: Fink KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4824020 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature