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Frank SM. Transfer of Tactile Learning to Untrained Body Parts: Emerging Cortical Mechanisms. Neuroscientist 2024:10738584241256277. [PMID: 38813891 DOI: 10.1177/10738584241256277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Pioneering investigations in the mid-19th century revealed that the perception of tactile cues presented to the surface of the skin improves with training, which is referred to as tactile learning. Surprisingly, tactile learning also occurs for body parts and skin locations that are not physically involved in the training. For example, after training of a finger, tactile learning transfers to adjacent untrained fingers. This suggests that the transfer of tactile learning follows a somatotopic pattern and involves brain regions such as the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), in which the trained and untrained body parts and skin locations are represented close to each other. However, other results showed that transfer occurs between body parts that are not represented close to each other in S1-for example, between the hand and the foot. These and similar findings have led to the suggestion of additional cortical mechanisms to explain the transfer of tactile learning. Here, different mechanisms are reviewed, and the extent to which they can explain the transfer of tactile learning is discussed. What all of these mechanisms have in common is that they assume a representational or functional relationship between the trained and untrained body parts and skin locations. However, none of these mechanisms alone can explain the complex pattern of transfer results, and it is likely that different mechanisms interact to enable transfer, perhaps in concert with higher somatosensory and decision-making areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian M Frank
- Institute for Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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2
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Tucciarelli R, Ejaz N, Wesselink DB, Kolli V, Hodgetts CJ, Diedrichsen J, Makin TR. Does Ipsilateral Remapping Following Hand Loss Impact Motor Control of the Intact Hand? J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0948232023. [PMID: 38050100 PMCID: PMC10860625 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0948-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
What happens once a cortical territory becomes functionally redundant? We studied changes in brain function and behavior for the remaining hand in humans (male and female) with either a missing hand from birth (one-handers) or due to amputation. Previous studies reported that amputees, but not one-handers, show increased ipsilateral activity in the somatosensory territory of the missing hand (i.e., remapping). We used a complex finger task to explore whether this observed remapping in amputees involves recruiting more neural resources to support the intact hand to meet greater motor control demands. Using basic fMRI analysis, we found that only amputees had more ipsilateral activity when motor demand increased; however, this did not match any noticeable improvement in their behavioral task performance. More advanced multivariate fMRI analyses showed that amputees had stronger and more typical representation-relative to controls' contralateral hand representation-compared with one-handers. This suggests that in amputees, both hand areas work together more collaboratively, potentially reflecting the intact hand's efference copy. One-handers struggled to learn difficult finger configurations, but this did not translate to differences in univariate or multivariate activity relative to controls. Additional white matter analysis provided conclusive evidence that the structural connectivity between the two hand areas did not vary across groups. Together, our results suggest that enhanced activity in the missing hand territory may not reflect intact hand function. Instead, we suggest that plasticity is more restricted than generally assumed and may depend on the availability of homologous pathways acquired early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Tucciarelli
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Naveed Ejaz
- Departments of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences and Computer Science, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Daan B Wesselink
- WIN Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Vijay Kolli
- Queen Mary's Hospital, London SW15 5PN, United Kingdom
| | - Carl J Hodgetts
- CUBRIC, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
- Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
| | - Jörn Diedrichsen
- Departments of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences and Computer Science, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Tamar R Makin
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom
- WIN Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
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3
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Nanivadekar AC, Bose R, Petersen BA, Okorokova EV, Sarma D, Madonna TJ, Barra B, Farooqui J, Dalrymple AN, Levy I, Helm ER, Miele VJ, Boninger ML, Capogrosso M, Bensmaia SJ, Weber DJ, Fisher LE. Restoration of sensory feedback from the foot and reduction of phantom limb pain via closed-loop spinal cord stimulation. Nat Biomed Eng 2023:10.1038/s41551-023-01153-8. [PMID: 38097809 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01153-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Restoring somatosensory feedback in individuals with lower-limb amputations would reduce the risk of falls and alleviate phantom limb pain. Here we show, in three individuals with transtibial amputation (one traumatic and two owing to diabetic peripheral neuropathy), that sensations from the missing foot, with control over their location and intensity, can be evoked via lateral lumbosacral spinal cord stimulation with commercially available electrodes and by modulating the intensity of stimulation in real time on the basis of signals from a wireless pressure-sensitive shoe insole. The restored somatosensation via closed-loop stimulation improved balance control (with a 19-point improvement in the composite score of the Sensory Organization Test in one individual) and gait stability (with a 5-point improvement in the Functional Gait Assessment in one individual). And over the implantation period of the stimulation leads, the three individuals experienced a clinically meaningful decrease in phantom limb pain (with an average reduction of nearly 70% on a visual analogue scale). Our findings support the further clinical assessment of lower-limb neuroprostheses providing somatosensory feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameya C Nanivadekar
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rohit Bose
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bailey A Petersen
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Elizaveta V Okorokova
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Devapratim Sarma
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tyler J Madonna
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Beatrice Barra
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Juhi Farooqui
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ashley N Dalrymple
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Isaiah Levy
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Eric R Helm
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vincent J Miele
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Boninger
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marco Capogrosso
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sliman J Bensmaia
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Douglas J Weber
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lee E Fisher
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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4
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Schone HR, Maimon Mor RO, Kollamkulam M, Gerrand C, Woollard A, Kang NV, Baker CI, Makin TR. Stable Cortical Body Maps Before and After Arm Amputation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571314. [PMID: 38168448 PMCID: PMC10760201 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Neuroscientists have long debated the adult brain's capacity to reorganize itself in response to injury. A driving model for studying plasticity has been limb amputation. For decades, it was believed that amputation triggers large-scale reorganization of cortical body resources. However, these studies have relied on cross-sectional observations post-amputation, without directly tracking neural changes. Here, we longitudinally followed adult patients with planned arm amputations and measured hand and face representations, before and after amputation. By interrogating the representational structure elicited from movements of the hand (pre-amputation) and phantom hand (post-amputation), we demonstrate that hand representation is unaltered. Further, we observed no evidence for lower face (lip) reorganization into the deprived hand region. Collectively, our findings provide direct and decisive evidence that amputation does not trigger large-scale cortical reorganization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter R. Schone
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Laboratory of Brain & Cognition, National Institutes of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Roni O. Maimon Mor
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mathew Kollamkulam
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Craig Gerrand
- Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Stanmore, Middlesex, UK
| | | | - Norbert V. Kang
- Plastic Surgery Department, Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Chris I. Baker
- Laboratory of Brain & Cognition, National Institutes of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tamar R. Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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5
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Philip BA, Fitzpatrick A, Thompson MR, Baune NA, Hyde M, Mackinnon SE. Response to: Letter to the Editor on "Failure to Compensate: Patients With Nerve Injury Use Their Injured Dominant Hand, Even When Their Nondominant is More Dexterous". Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2023; 104:2176-2177. [PMID: 37678446 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Philip
- Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
| | | | - Madeline R Thompson
- Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Nathan A Baune
- Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Maureen Hyde
- Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Susan E Mackinnon
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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6
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Ortega-Auriol P, Byblow WD, Besier T, McMorland AJC. Muscle synergies are associated with intermuscular coherence and cortico-synergy coherence in an isometric upper limb task. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:2627-2643. [PMID: 37737925 PMCID: PMC10635925 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06706-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
To elucidate the underlying physiological mechanisms of muscle synergies, we investigated long-range functional connectivity by cortico-muscular (CMC), intermuscular (IMC) and cortico-synergy (CSC) coherence. Fourteen healthy participants executed an isometric upper limb task in synergy-tuned directions. Cortical activity was recorded using 32-channel electroencephalography (EEG) and muscle activity using 16-channel electromyography (EMG). Using non-negative matrix factorisation (NMF), we calculated muscle synergies from two different tasks. A preliminary multidirectional task was used to identify synergy-preferred directions (PDs). A subsequent coherence task, consisting of generating forces isometrically in the synergy PDs, was used to assess the functional connectivity properties of synergies. Overall, we were able to identify four different synergies from the multidirectional task. A significant alpha band IMC was consistently present in all extracted synergies. Moreover, IMC alpha band was higher between muscles with higher weights within a synergy. Interestingly, CSC alpha band was also significantly higher across muscles with higher weights within a synergy. In contrast, no significant CMC was found between the motor cortex area and synergy muscles. The presence of a shared input onto synergistic muscles within a synergy supports the idea of neurally derived muscle synergies that build human movement. Our findings suggest cortical modulation of some of the synergies and the consequential existence of shared input between muscles within cortically modulated synergies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Ortega-Auriol
- Department of Exercise Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Winston D Byblow
- Department of Exercise Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thor Besier
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Angus J C McMorland
- Department of Exercise Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Abstract
Neurological insults, such as congenital blindness, deafness, amputation, and stroke, often result in surprising and impressive behavioural changes. Cortical reorganisation, which refers to preserved brain tissue taking on a new functional role, is often invoked to account for these behavioural changes. Here, we revisit many of the classical animal and patient cortical remapping studies that spawned this notion of reorganisation. We highlight empirical, methodological, and conceptual problems that call this notion into doubt. We argue that appeal to the idea of reorganisation is attributable in part to the way that cortical maps are empirically derived. Specifically, cortical maps are often defined based on oversimplified assumptions of 'winner-takes-all', which in turn leads to an erroneous interpretation of what it means when these maps appear to change. Conceptually, remapping is interpreted as a circuit receiving novel input and processing it in a way unrelated to its original function. This implies that neurons are either pluripotent enough to change what they are tuned to or that a circuit can change what it computes. Instead of reorganisation, we argue that remapping is more likely to occur due to potentiation of pre-existing architecture that already has the requisite representational and computational capacity pre-injury. This architecture can be facilitated via Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity mechanisms. Crucially, our revised framework proposes that opportunities for functional change are constrained throughout the lifespan by the underlying structural 'blueprint'. At no period, including early in development, does the cortex offer structural opportunities for functional pluripotency. We conclude that reorganisation as a distinct form of cortical plasticity, ubiquitously evoked with words such as 'take-over'' and 'rewiring', does not exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar R Makin
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - John W Krakauer
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Santa Fe InstituteSanta FeUnited States
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8
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Castro F, Lenggenhager B, Zeller D, Pellegrino G, D'Alonzo M, Di Pino G. From rubber hands to neuroprosthetics: Neural correlates of embodiment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105351. [PMID: 37544389 PMCID: PMC10582798 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Our interaction with the world rests on the knowledge that we are a body in space and time, which can interact with the environment. This awareness is usually referred to as sense of embodiment. For the good part of the past 30 years, the rubber hand illusion (RHI) has been a prime tool to study embodiment in healthy and people with a variety of clinical conditions. In this paper, we provide a critical overview of this research with a focus on the RHI paradigm as a tool to study prothesis embodiment in individuals with amputation. The RHI relies on well-documented multisensory integration mechanisms based on sensory precision, where parietal areas are involved in resolving the visuo-tactile conflict, and premotor areas in updating the conscious bodily representation. This mechanism may be transferable to prosthesis ownership in amputees. We discuss how these results might transfer to technological development of sensorised prostheses, which in turn might progress the acceptability by users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Castro
- Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University, via Alvaro del Portillo 5, 00128 Rome, Italy; Institute of Sport, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Bigna Lenggenhager
- Department of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Zeller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Giovanni Pellegrino
- Epilepsy program, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marco D'Alonzo
- Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University, via Alvaro del Portillo 5, 00128 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Di Pino
- Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University, via Alvaro del Portillo 5, 00128 Rome, Italy
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Marneweck M, Gardner C, Dundon NM, Smith J, Frey SH. Reorganization of sensorimotor representations of the intact limb after upper but not lower limb traumatic amputation. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103499. [PMID: 37634375 PMCID: PMC10470418 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly clear that limb loss induces wider spread reorganization of representations of the body that are nonadjacent to the affected cortical territory. Data from upper extremity amputees reveal intrusion of the representation of the ipsilateral intact limb into the former hand territory. Here we test for the first time whether this reorganization of the intact limb into the deprived cortex is specific to the neurological organization of the upper limbs or reflects large scale adaptation that is triggered by any unilateral amputation. BOLD activity was measured as human subjects with upper limb and lower limb traumatic amputation and their controls moved the toes on each foot, open and closed each hand and pursed their lips. Subjects with amputation were asked to imagine moving the missing limb while remaining still. Bayesian pattern component modeling of fMRI data showed that intact ipsilateral movements and contralateral movements of the hand and foot were distinctly represented in the deprived sensorimotor cortex years after upper limb amputation. In contrast, there was evidence reminiscent of contralateral specificity for hand and foot movements following lower limb amputation, like that seen in controls. We propose the cortical reorganization of the intact limb to be a function of use-dependent plasticity that is more specific to the consequence of upper limb loss of forcing an asymmetric reliance on the intact hand and arm. The contribution of this reorganization to phantom pain or a heightened risk of overuse and resultant maladaptive plasticity needs investigating before targeting such reorganization in intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cooper Gardner
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Neil M Dundon
- Department of Brain and Psychological Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jolinda Smith
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Scott H Frey
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Limakatso K, Cashin AG, Williams S, Devonshire J, Parker R, McAuley JH. The Efficacy of Graded Motor Imagery and Its Components on Phantom Limb Pain and Disability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Can J Pain 2023; 7:2188899. [PMID: 37214633 PMCID: PMC10193907 DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2023.2188899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Graded Motor Imagery (GMI) is a non-invasive and inexpensive therapy used to treat Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) by sequentially activating motor networks in such a way that movement and pain are unpaired. The objective of this systematic review was to critically appraise relevant data on the efficacy of GMI and its components for reducing PLP and disability in amputees. Methods We searched 11 electronic databases for controlled trials investigating GMI and its components in amputees with PLP from inception until February 2023. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted relevant data. Study-level data were entered using the inverse variance function of the Review Manager 5 and pooled with the random effects model. Results Eleven studies with varying risk of bias were eligible. No eligible study considered left/right judgement tasks in isolation. Studies showed no effect for imagined movements, but positive effects were seen for GMI [weighted mean difference: -21.29 (95%CI: -31.55, -11.02), I2= 0%] and mirror therapy [weighted mean difference: -8.55 (95%CI: -14.74, -2.35, I2= 61%]. A comparison of mirror therapy versus sham showed no difference [weighted mean difference: -4.43 (95%CI: -16.03, 7.16), I2= 51%]. Conclusion Our findings suggest that GMI and mirror therapy may be effective for reducing PLP. However, this conclusion was drawn from a limited body of evidence, and the certainty of the evidence was very low. Therefore, rigorous, high-quality trials are needed to address the gap in the literature and inform practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katleho Limakatso
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, Australia
| | - Aidan G. Cashin
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, Australia
| | - Sam Williams
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, Australia
| | - Jack Devonshire
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, Australia
| | - Romy Parker
- Pain Management Unit, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - James H. McAuley
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, Australia
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11
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Root V, Muret D, Arribas M, Amoruso E, Thornton J, Tarall-Jozwiak A, Tracey I, Makin TR. Complex pattern of facial remapping in somatosensory cortex following congenital but not acquired hand loss. eLife 2022; 11:76158. [PMID: 36583538 PMCID: PMC9851617 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical remapping after hand loss in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is thought to be predominantly dictated by cortical proximity, with adjacent body parts remapping into the deprived area. Traditionally, this remapping has been characterised by changes in the lip representation, which is assumed to be the immediate neighbour of the hand based on electrophysiological research in non-human primates. However, the orientation of facial somatotopy in humans is debated, with contrasting work reporting both an inverted and upright topography. We aimed to fill this gap in the S1 homunculus by investigating the topographic organisation of the face. Using both univariate and multivariate approaches we examined the extent of face-to-hand remapping in individuals with a congenital and acquired missing hand (hereafter one-handers and amputees, respectively), relative to two-handed controls. Participants were asked to move different facial parts (forehead, nose, lips, tongue) during functional MRI (fMRI) scanning. We first confirmed an upright face organisation in all three groups, with the upper-face and not the lips bordering the hand area. We further found little evidence for remapping of both forehead and lips in amputees, with no significant relationship to the chronicity of their phantom limb pain (PLP). In contrast, we found converging evidence for a complex pattern of face remapping in congenital one-handers across multiple facial parts, where relative to controls, the location of the cortical neighbour - the forehead - is shown to shift away from the deprived hand area, which is subsequently more activated by the lips and the tongue. Together, our findings demonstrate that the face representation in humans is highly plastic, but that this plasticity is restricted by the developmental stage of input deprivation, rather than cortical proximity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Root
- WIN Centre, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (CBU), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Dollyane Muret
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Maite Arribas
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Elena Amoruso
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (CBU), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - John Thornton
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Irene Tracey
- WIN Centre, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Tamar R Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (CBU), University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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12
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Donegan T, Ryan BE, Sanchez-Vives MV, Świdrak J. Altered bodily perceptions in chronic neuropathic pain conditions and implications for treatment using immersive virtual reality. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:1024910. [PMID: 36466621 PMCID: PMC9714822 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1024910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain is highly disabling and difficult to treat and manage. Patients with such conditions often report altered bodily perceptions that are thought to be associated with maladaptive structural and functional alterations in the somatosensory cortex. Manipulating these altered perceptions using body illusions in virtual reality is being investigated and may have positive clinical implications for the treatment of these conditions. Here, we have conducted a narrative review of the evidence for the types of bodily distortions associated with a variety of peripheral and central neuropathic pain conditions. In addition, we summarize the experimental and clinical studies that have explored embodiment and body transformation illusions in immersive virtual reality for neuropathic pain relief, which are thought to target these maladaptive changes, as well as suggesting directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Donegan
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Brenda E. Ryan
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria V. Sanchez-Vives
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Justyna Świdrak
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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13
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Wesselink DB, Sanders ZB, Edmondson LR, Dempsey-Jones H, Kieliba P, Kikkert S, Themistocleous AC, Emir U, Diedrichsen J, Saal HP, Makin TR. Malleability of the cortical hand map following a finger nerve block. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabk2393. [PMID: 35452294 PMCID: PMC9032959 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk2393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Electrophysiological studies in monkeys show that finger amputation triggers local remapping within the deprived primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Human neuroimaging research, however, shows persistent S1 representation of the missing hand's fingers, even decades after amputation. Here, we explore whether this apparent contradiction stems from underestimating the distributed peripheral and central representation of fingers in the hand map. Using pharmacological single-finger nerve block and 7-tesla neuroimaging, we first replicated previous accounts (electrophysiological and other) of local S1 remapping. Local blocking also triggered activity changes to nonblocked fingers across the entire hand area. Using methods exploiting interfinger representational overlap, however, we also show that the blocked finger representation remained persistent despite input loss. Computational modeling suggests that both local stability and global reorganization are driven by distributed processing underlying the topographic map, combined with homeostatic mechanisms. Our findings reveal complex interfinger representational features that play a key role in brain (re)organization, beyond (re)mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan B. Wesselink
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Zeena-Britt Sanders
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Laura R. Edmondson
- Active Touch Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Harriet Dempsey-Jones
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Paulina Kieliba
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sanne Kikkert
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andreas C. Themistocleous
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Brain Function Research Group, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Uzay Emir
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jörn Diedrichsen
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Hannes P. Saal
- Active Touch Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Tamar R. Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
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14
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Neuromotor prosthetic to treat stroke-related paresis: N-of-1 trial. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2022; 2:37. [PMID: 35603289 PMCID: PMC9053238 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-022-00105-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Functional recovery of arm movement typically plateaus following a stroke, leaving chronic motor deficits. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) may be a potential treatment for post-stroke deficits Methods In this n-of-1 trial (NCT03913286), a person with chronic subcortical stroke with upper-limb motor impairment used a powered elbow-wrist-hand orthosis that opened and closed the affected hand using cortical activity, recorded from a percutaneous BCI comprised of four microelectrode arrays implanted in the ipsilesional precentral gyrus, based on decoding of spiking patterns and high frequency field potentials generated by imagined hand movements. The system was evaluated in a home setting for 12 weeks Results Robust single unit activity, modulating with attempted or imagined movement, was present throughout the precentral gyrus. The participant acquired voluntary control over a hand-orthosis, achieving 10 points on the Action Research Arm Test using the BCI, compared to 0 without any device, and 5 using myoelectric control. Strength, spasticity, the Fugl-Meyer scores improved. Conclusions We demonstrate in a human being that ensembles of individual neurons in the cortex overlying a chronic supratentorial, subcortical stroke remain active and engaged in motor representation and planning and can be used to electrically bypass the stroke and promote limb function. The participant’s ability to rapidly acquire control over otherwise paralyzed hand opening, more than 18 months after a stroke, may justify development of a fully implanted movement restoration system to expand the utility of fully implantable BCI to a clinical population that numbers in the tens of millions worldwide. Stroke is a restriction of blood flow to part of the brain and can lead to chronic issues with a person’s ability to control the limbs. The aim of this study was to see if a new type of device could restore movement in a person with arm weakness due to a stroke that occurred a year earlier. In our trial, a sensor was implanted into the surface of the brain, near the site of the stroke, and was connected to a computer that generated a command to open and close the hand with a motorized brace worn on the hand. This person was able to use their own brain activity to trigger the brace and pick up and move objects. This research could support the development of similar medical devices to restore movement in people who have had strokes. Serruya et al. test in an N-of-1 trial whether a wearable, powered exoskeletal orthosis, driven by a percutaneous, implanted brain–computer interface can restore voluntary upper extremity function following chronic hemiparesis subsequent to a cerebral subcortical stroke. Using this approach, voluntary opening of the paralyzed hand is restored.
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15
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Muret D, Root V, Kieliba P, Clode D, Makin TR. Beyond body maps: Information content of specific body parts is distributed across the somatosensory homunculus. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110523. [PMID: 35294887 PMCID: PMC8938902 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The homunculus in primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is famous for its body part selectivity, but this dominant feature may eclipse other representational features, e.g., information content, also relevant for S1 organization. Using multivariate fMRI analysis, we ask whether body part information content can be identified in S1 beyond its primary region. Throughout S1, we identify significant representational dissimilarities between body parts but also subparts in distant non-primary regions (e.g., between the hand and the lips in the foot region and between different face parts in the foot region). Two movements performed by one body part (e.g., the hand) could also be dissociated well beyond its primary region (e.g., in the foot and face regions), even within Brodmann area 3b. Our results demonstrate that information content is more distributed across S1 than selectivity maps suggest. This finding reveals underlying information contents in S1 that could be harnessed for rehabilitation and brain-machine interfaces. We replicate the high univariate selectivity profile of the somatosensory homunculus We use multivariate fMRI analysis to identify information content beyond selectivity Significant body part and action-related content are found throughout the homunculus Functional information is available, even in regions selective to other body parts
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Affiliation(s)
- Dollyane Muret
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK.
| | - Victoria Root
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK; Wellcome Centre of Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Paulina Kieliba
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Danielle Clode
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK; Dani Clode Design, 40 Hillside Road, London SW2 3HW, UK
| | - Tamar R Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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16
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Leemhuis E, Giuffrida V, De Martino ML, Forte G, Pecchinenda A, De Gennaro L, Giannini AM, Pazzaglia M. Rethinking the Body in the Brain after Spinal Cord Injury. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11020388. [PMID: 35054089 PMCID: PMC8780443 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11020388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are disruptive neurological events that severly affect the body leading to the interruption of sensorimotor and autonomic pathways. Recent research highlighted SCI-related alterations extend beyond than the expected network, involving most of the central nervous system and goes far beyond primary sensorimotor cortices. The present perspective offers an alternative, useful way to interpret conflicting findings by focusing on the deafferented and deefferented body as the central object of interest. After an introduction to the main processes involved in reorganization according to SCI, we will focus separately on the body regions of the head, upper limbs, and lower limbs in complete, incomplete, and deafferent SCI participants. On one hand, the imprinting of the body’s spatial organization is entrenched in the brain such that its representation likely lasts for the entire lifetime of patients, independent of the severity of the SCI. However, neural activity is extremely adaptable, even over short time scales, and is modulated by changing conditions or different compensative strategies. Therefore, a better understanding of both aspects is an invaluable clinical resource for rehabilitation and the successful use of modern robotic technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Leemhuis
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
- Action and Body Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Giuffrida
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
- Action and Body Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa De Martino
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
- Action and Body Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Forte
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
- Action and Body Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (G.F.); (M.P.); Tel.: +39-6-49917633 (M.P.)
| | - Anna Pecchinenda
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
- Action and Body Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Giannini
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
| | - Mariella Pazzaglia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.L.); (V.G.); (M.L.D.M.); (A.P.); (L.D.G.); (A.M.G.)
- Action and Body Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (G.F.); (M.P.); Tel.: +39-6-49917633 (M.P.)
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17
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Raffin E. The various forms of sensorimotor plasticity following limb amputation and their link with rehabilitation strategies. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2021; 177:1112-1120. [PMID: 34657732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Limb amputation is characterized by complex and intermingled brain reorganization processes combining sensorimotor deprivation induced by the loss of the limb per se, and compensatory behaviors, such as the over-use of the intact or remaining limb. While a large body of evidence documents sensorimotor representation plasticity following arm amputation, less investigations have been performed to fully understand the use-dependent plasticity phenomenon and the role of behavioral compensation in brain reorganization. In this article, I will review the findings on sensorimotor plasticity after limb amputation, focusing on these two aspects: sensorimotor deprivation and adaptive patterns of limb usage, and describe the models that attempt to link these reorganizational processes with phantom limb pain. Two main models have been proposed: the maladaptive plasticity model which states that the reorganization of the adjacent cortical territories into the representation of the missing limb is proportional to phantom pain intensity, and the persistent representation model, which rather suggests that the intensity of residual brain activity associated with phantom hand movements scales with phantom limb pain intensity. I will finally illustrate how this fundamental research helps designing new therapeutic strategies for phantom plain relief.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Raffin
- Defitech Chair in Clinical Neuroengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, UPHUMMEL lab, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Room H4.3.132.084, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Defitech Chair in Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Clinique Romande de Readaptation (CRR), EPFL Valais, Sion, Switzerland.
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18
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Edwards G, Berestova A, Battelli L. Behavioral gain following isolation of attention. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19329. [PMID: 34588526 PMCID: PMC8481494 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98670-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable sensory perception is achieved through balanced excitatory-inhibitory interactions of lateralized sensory processing. In real world experience, sensory processing is rarely equal across lateralized processing regions, resulting in continuous rebalancing. Using lateralized attention as a case study, we predicted rebalancing lateralized processing following prolonged spatial attention imbalance could cause a gain in attention in the opposite direction. In neurotypical human adults, we isolated covert attention to one visual field with a 30-min attention-demanding task and found an increase in attention in the opposite visual field after manipulation. We suggest a gain in lateralized attention in the previously unattended visual field is due to an overshoot through attention rebalancing. The offline post-manipulation effect is suggestive of long-term potentiation affecting behavior. Our finding of visual field specific attention increase could be critical for the development of clinical rehabilitation for patients with a unilateral lesion and lateralized attention deficits. This proof-of-concept study initiates the examination of overshoot following the release of imbalance in other lateralized control and sensory domains, important in our basic understanding of lateralized processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Edwards
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems@UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy. .,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Anna Berestova
- Lesley University, 29 Everett St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Lorella Battelli
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems@UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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19
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Zaforas M, Rosa JM, Alonso-Calviño E, Fernández-López E, Miguel-Quesada C, Oliviero A, Aguilar J. Cortical layer-specific modulation of neuronal activity after sensory deprivation due to spinal cord injury. J Physiol 2021; 599:4643-4669. [PMID: 34418097 PMCID: PMC9292026 DOI: 10.1113/jp281901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Cortical areas have the capacity of large‐scale reorganization following sensory deafferentation. However, it remains unclear whether this phenomenon is a unique process that homogeneously affects the entire deprived cortical region or whether it is susceptible to changes depending on neuronal networks across distinct cortical layers. Here, we studied how the local circuitry within each layer of the deafferented cortex forms the basis for neuroplastic changes after immediate thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) in anaesthetized rats. In vivo electrophysiological recordings from deafferented hindlimb somatosensory cortex showed that SCI induces layer‐specific changes mediating evoked and spontaneous activity. In supragranular layer 2/3, SCI increased gamma oscillations and the ability of these neurons to initiate up‐states during spontaneous activity, suggesting an altered corticocortical network and/or intrinsic properties that may serve to maintain the excitability of the cortical column after deafferentation. On the other hand, SCI enhanced the infragranular layers’ ability to integrate evoked sensory inputs leading to increased and faster neuronal responses. Delayed evoked response onsets were also observed in layer 5/6, suggesting alterations in thalamocortical connectivity. Altogether, our data indicate that SCI immediately modifies the local circuitry within the deafferented cortex allowing supragranular layers to better integrate spontaneous corticocortical information, thus modifying column excitability, and infragranular layers to better integrate evoked sensory inputs to preserve subcortical outputs. These layer‐specific neuronal changes may guide the long‐term alterations in neuronal excitability and plasticity associated with the rearrangements of somatosensory networks and the appearance of central sensory pathologies usually associated with spinal cord injury. Key points Sensory stimulation of forelimb produces cortical evoked responses in the somatosensory hindlimb cortex in a layer‐dependent manner. Spinal cord injury favours the input statistics of corticocortical connections between intact and deafferented cortices. After spinal cord injury supragranular layers exhibit better integration of spontaneous corticocortical information while infragranular layers exhibit better integration of evoked sensory stimulation. Cortical reorganization is a layer‐specific phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zaforas
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Research Unit, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Toledo, 45071, Spain.,FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Research Unit, Toledo, 45071, Spain
| | - Juliana M Rosa
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Research Unit, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Toledo, 45071, Spain
| | - Elena Alonso-Calviño
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Research Unit, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Toledo, 45071, Spain
| | - Elena Fernández-López
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Research Unit, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Toledo, 45071, Spain
| | - Claudia Miguel-Quesada
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Research Unit, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Toledo, 45071, Spain
| | - Antonio Oliviero
- FENNSI Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Research Unit, Toledo, 45071, Spain
| | - Juan Aguilar
- Experimental Neurophysiology and Neuronal Circuits Group, Research Unit, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos - SESCAM, Toledo, 45071, Spain
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20
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Hughes CL, Flesher SN, Weiss JM, Boninger M, Collinger JL, Gaunt RA. Perception of microstimulation frequency in human somatosensory cortex. eLife 2021; 10:65128. [PMID: 34313221 PMCID: PMC8376245 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Microstimulation in the somatosensory cortex can evoke artificial tactile percepts and can be incorporated into bidirectional brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) to restore function after injury or disease. However, little is known about how stimulation parameters themselves affect perception. Here, we stimulated through microelectrode arrays implanted in the somatosensory cortex of two human participants with cervical spinal cord injury and varied the stimulus amplitude, frequency, and train duration. Increasing the amplitude and train duration increased the perceived intensity on all tested electrodes. Surprisingly, we found that increasing the frequency evoked more intense percepts on some electrodes but evoked less-intense percepts on other electrodes. These different frequency–intensity relationships were divided into three groups, which also evoked distinct percept qualities at different stimulus frequencies. Neighboring electrode sites were more likely to belong to the same group. These results support the idea that stimulation frequency directly controls tactile perception and that these different percepts may be related to the organization of somatosensory cortex, which will facilitate principled development of stimulation strategies for bidirectional BCIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Hughes
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Sharlene N Flesher
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Weiss
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Michael Boninger
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Center of Excellence, Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Jennifer L Collinger
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Center of Excellence, Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Robert A Gaunt
- Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
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21
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Kieliba P, Clode D, Maimon-Mor RO, Makin TR. Robotic hand augmentation drives changes in neural body representation. Sci Robot 2021; 6:eabd7935. [PMID: 34043536 PMCID: PMC7612043 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abd7935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Humans have long been fascinated by the opportunities afforded through augmentation. This vision not only depends on technological innovations but also critically relies on our brain's ability to learn, adapt, and interface with augmentation devices. Here, we investigated whether successful motor augmentation with an extra robotic thumb can be achieved and what its implications are on the neural representation and function of the biological hand. Able-bodied participants were trained to use an extra robotic thumb (called the Third Thumb) over 5 days, including both lab-based and unstructured daily use. We challenged participants to complete normally bimanual tasks using only the augmented hand and examined their ability to develop hand-robot interactions. Participants were tested on a variety of behavioral and brain imaging tests, designed to interrogate the augmented hand's representation before and after the training. Training improved Third Thumb motor control, dexterity, and hand-robot coordination, even when cognitive load was increased or when vision was occluded. It also resulted in increased sense of embodiment over the Third Thumb. Consequently, augmentation influenced key aspects of hand representation and motor control. Third Thumb usage weakened natural kinematic synergies of the biological hand. Furthermore, brain decoding revealed a mild collapse of the augmented hand's motor representation after training, even while the Third Thumb was not worn. Together, our findings demonstrate that motor augmentation can be readily achieved, with potential for flexible use, reduced cognitive reliance, and increased sense of embodiment. Yet, augmentation may incur changes to the biological hand representation. Such neurocognitive consequences are crucial for successful implementation of future augmentation technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Kieliba
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Danielle Clode
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
- Dani Clode design, 40 Hillside Road, London SW2 3HW, UK
| | - Roni O Maimon-Mor
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
- WIN Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Tamar R Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK.
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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22
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Makin TR. Phantom limb pain: thinking outside the (mirror) box. Brain 2021; 144:1929-1932. [PMID: 33787898 PMCID: PMC8370441 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite our best efforts over the past century, our mechanistic understanding of phantom limb pain and our ability to treat it have remained limited. Tamar Makin invites readers to think more critically about some of the most popular approaches to understanding and treating this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar R Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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Amoruso E, Kromm M, Spampinato D, Kop B, Muret D, Rothwell J, Rocchi L, Makin TR. Stimulating the deprived motor 'hand' area causes facial muscle responses in one-handers. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:347-350. [PMID: 33549718 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Amoruso
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Kromm
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Danny Spampinato
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Kop
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dollyane Muret
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Rothwell
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tamar R Makin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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