Neural Mechanisms of Functional Recovery via Artificial Neural Connection

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H05287
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Broad Section I
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: NISHIMURA Yukio 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 脳・神経科学研究分野, プロジェクトリーダー (20390693)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: cerebral cortex / Spinal cord / brain computer interface / neuron / adaptation

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to clarify what neural mechanisms are responsible for the flexible adaptation of the nervous system to a novel neural connection. The neurons in the monkey motor cortex change their activity patterns in response to the role of the spinal cord to which they are connected via computer interface. In spinal cord injury patients with residual pathways, the artificial neural connection via computer interface improved walking ability and reorganized the functional maps in both the brain and spinal cord. In summary, we found that the motor cortex adapts to the novel neural connections by altering its activity to match the role of the lower spinal cord newly connected by the artificial neural connection.

Free Research Field

神経生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本には10万人の脊髄損傷患者がおり、患者の麻痺した運動機能を取り戻すための革新的な治療戦略が待望されている。本研究の成果から、脊髄損傷患者の運動機能の再獲得に対する人工神経接続の有効性と作用機序が明らかとなった。研究の成果は、人工神経接続がこれまで不治の病であると考えられていた脊髄損傷に対する革新的な治療法となりうることを示している。