Faculty Opinions recommendation of Lack of long-term cortical reorganization after macaque retinal lesions.

Motor control, which relies on constant communication between motor and sensory systems, is crucial for spine posture, stability and movement. Adaptions of motor control occur in low back pain (LBP) while different motor adaption strategies exist across individuals, probably to reduce LBP and risk of injury. However, in some individuals with LBP, adapted motor control strategies might have long-term consequences, such as increased spinal loading that has been linked with degeneration of intervertebral discs and other tissues, potentially maintaining recurrent or chronic LBP. Factors contributing to motor control adaptations in LBP have been extensively studied on the motor output side, but less attention has been paid to changes in sensory input, specifically proprioception. Furthermore, motor cortex reorganization has been linked with chronic and recurrent LBP, but underlying factors are poorly understood. Here, we review current research on behavioral and neural effects of motor control adaptions in LBP. We conclude that back pain-induced disrupted or reduced proprioceptive signaling likely plays a pivotal role in driving long-term changes in the top-down control of the motor system via motor and sensory cortical reorganization. In the outlook of this review, we explore whether motor control adaptations are also important for other (musculoskeletal) pain conditions.

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Long-term Observation of Retinal Lesions in Tuberous Sclerosis

American Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1016/s0002-9394(14)71174-2 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 119 (3) ◽

pp. 318-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

INGRID E. ZIMMER-GALLER ◽

DENNIS M. ROBERTSON

Keyword(s):

Tuberous Sclerosis ◽

Retinal Lesions ◽

Long Term Observation

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MEG study of long-term cortical reorganization of sensorimotor areas with respect to using chopsticks

Neuroreport ◽

10.1097/00001756-200211150-00033 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 2155-2159 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Ryouhei Ishii ◽

Matthias Schulz ◽

Jing Xiang ◽

Masatoshi Takeda ◽

Kazuhiro Shinosaki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cortical Reorganization

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Long-term ongoing cortical remodeling after contralateral C-7 nerve transfer

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2012.12.jns12207 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 118 (4) ◽

pp. 725-729 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Xu-Yun Hua ◽

Bin Liu ◽

Yan-Qun Qiu ◽

Wei-Jun Tang ◽

Wen-Dong Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nerve Transfer ◽

Cortical Reorganization ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Adaptive Plasticity ◽

Healthy Male ◽

Long Period ◽

Network Activation ◽

Nerve Transfers ◽

Male Patients

Object Contralateral C-7 nerve transfer was developed for the treatment of patients with brachial plexus avulsion injury (BPAI). In the surgical procedure the affected recipient nerve is connected to the ipsilateral motor cortex, and the dramatic peripheral alteration may trigger extensive cortical reorganization. However, little is known about the long-term results after such specific nerve transfers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term cortical adaptive plasticity after BPAI and contralateral C-7 nerve transfer. Methods In this study, 9 healthy male volunteers and 5 male patients who suffered from right-sided BPAI and had undergone contralateral C-7-transfer more than 5 years earlier were included. Functional MRI studies were used for the investigation of long-term cerebral plasticity. Results The neuroimaging results suggested that the ongoing cortical remodeling process after contralateral C-7 nerve transfer could last for a long period; at least for 5 years. The motor control of the reinnervated limb may finally transfer from the ipsilateral to the contralateral hemisphere exclusively, instead of the bilateral neural network activation. Conclusions The authors believe that the cortical remodeling may last for a long period after peripheral rearrangement and that the successful cortical transfer is the foundation of the independent motor recovery.

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fMRI of the rod scotoma elucidates cortical rod pathways and implications for lesion measurements

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1423673112 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 112 (16) ◽

pp. 5201-5206 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Brian Barton ◽

Alyssa A. Brewer

Keyword(s):

Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽

Cortical Reorganization ◽

Blood Oxygen Level ◽

Short Term ◽

Traumatic Lesion ◽

Electrophysiological Studies ◽

Short Term Adaptation ◽

Early Visual Cortex ◽

Dependent Signal

Are silencing, ectopic shifts, and receptive field (RF) scaling in cortical scotoma projection zones (SPZs) the result of long-term reorganization (plasticity) or short-term adaptation? Electrophysiological studies of SPZs after retinal lesions in animal models remain controversial, because they are unable to conclusively answer this question because of limitations of the methodology. Here, we used functional MRI (fMRI) visual field mapping through population RF (pRF) modeling with moving bar stimuli under photopic and scotopic conditions to measure the effects of the rod scotoma in human early visual cortex. As a naturally occurring central scotoma, it has a large cortical representation, is free of traumatic lesion complications, is completely reversible, and has not reorganized under normal conditions (but can as seen in rod monochromats). We found that the pRFs overlapping the SPZ in V1, V2, V3, hV4, and VO-1 generally (i) reduced their blood oxygen level-dependent signal coherence and (ii) shifted their pRFs more eccentric but (iii) scaled their pRF sizes in variable ways. Thus, silencing, ectopic shifts, and pRF scaling in SPZs are not unique identifiers of cortical reorganization; rather, they can be the expected result of short-term adaptation. However, are there differences between rod and cone signals in V1, V2, V3, hV4, and VO-1? We did not find differences for all five maps in more peripheral eccentricities outside of rod scotoma influence in coherence, eccentricity representation, or pRF size. Thus, rod and cone signals seem to be processed similarly in cortex.

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The Potential of Virtual Reality for Inducing Neuroplasticity in Children with Amblyopia

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2020/7067846 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

María B. Coco-Martin ◽

David P. Piñero ◽

Luis Leal-Vega ◽

Carlos J. Hernández-Rodríguez ◽

Joaquin Adiego ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Cortical Reorganization ◽

Visual Rehabilitation ◽

Wide Range ◽

Head Mounted Displays ◽

Neuronal Connections ◽

Definition Of ◽

And Control

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a new safe and effective tool for neurorehabilitation of different childhood and adulthood conditions. VR-based therapies can induce cortical reorganization and promote the activation of different neuronal connections over a wide range of ages, leading to contrasted improvements in motor and functional skills. The use of VR for the visual rehabilitation in amblyopia has been investigated in the last years, with the potential of using serious games combining perceptual learning and dichoptic stimulation. This combination of technologies allows the clinician to measure, treat, and control changes in interocular suppression, which is one of the factors leading to cortical alterations in amblyopia. Several clinical researches on this issue have been conducted, showing the potential of promoting visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and stereopsis improvement. Indeed, several systems have been evaluated for amblyopia treatment including the use of different commercially available types of head mounted displays (HMDs). These HMDs are mostly well tolerated by patients during short exposures and do not cause significant long-term side effects, although their use has been occasionally associated with some visual discomfort and other complications in certain types of subjects. More studies are needed to confirm these promising therapies in controlled randomized clinical trials, with special emphasis on the definition of the most adequate planning for obtaining an effective recovery of the visual and binocular function.

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