Changes of brain structure and gene expression underlying motor recovery after brain damage

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25351004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Brain biometrics
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Higo Noriyuki 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 人間情報研究部門, 主任研究員 (80357839)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: リハビリテーション / 霊長類 / 神経可塑性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Brain activation study using positron emission tomography revealed that the activity of the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) during dexterous hand movements increases when hand movements were restored by motor training after lesion of the primary motor cortex (M1). We also investigated structural changes of neurons that occur during the training-induced motor recovery. Gene expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) was increased in PMv during recovery period, suggesting that structural changes occurred in axonal projections from PMv. In addition, an anatomical tracer experiment showed that the projections from PMv to subcortical structures, such as the red nucleus, were more abundant in the M1-lesioned monkeys than those in the intact monkeys. These findings suggest that both functional and structural plastic changes in PMv neurons are induced by motor training after brain damage, and the changes result in the establishment of compensatory motor pathways from PMv.

Free Research Field

神経科学