The mechanism of plastic changes during functional recovery after brain injury.

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06488
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 46010:Neuroscience-general-related
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: JITSUKI Susumu 横浜市立大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (10546675)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: AMPA受容体 / シナプス可塑性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The cell biological mechanism of plastic changes in the peri-injured area during recovery after cortical injury is still unknown. The aim of this study is to determine the timing of synaptic delivery of AMPA receptors after cortical injury during recovery and the neurons responsible for recovery. We observed an increase in excitatory input correlated with recovery rate of neurons in the peri-injured cortex during the first two weeks of training after brain injury. Furthermore, we expressed DREADD (hM3DGq) in this area, and introduced combination of rehabilitation with DREADD activation in animals that had no recovery. These manipulations induced tendency of recovery of motor function.
These results suggest that activation of neurons in the peri-injured area together with rehabilitation is useful to induce recovery of chronic paralysis.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

リハビリテーション医学の発展により疾患や外傷を原因とした脳損傷からある程度の機能回復が可能となってきている。しかしながら技士間・施設間での治療効果のばらつきが大きく、このようなばらつきは機能が回復していく過程として”脳内の何がどう変化すればいいのか”といったような機能回復の実態が不明瞭であるためと考えられる。そのため脳損傷後の回復過程において、脳内のどの回路がどのタイミングで変化するのかという回復過程の実態を明らかにすることにより、より効果の高いリハビリテーション技術を中枢神経の損傷に苦しむ患者に提供することができると期待できる。