Journal article
Trunk Sensorimotor Cortex Is Essential for Autonomous Weight-Supported Locomotion in Adult Rats Spinalized as P1/P2 Neonates
Journal of neurophysiology, v 100(2), pp 839-851
Aug 2008
PMID: 18509082
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Unlike adult spinalized rats, approximately 20% of rats spinalized as postnatal day 1 or 2 (P1/P2) neonates achieve autonomous hindlimb weight support. Cortical representations of mid/low trunk occur only in such rats with high weight support. However, the importance of hindlimb/trunk motor cortex in function of spinalized rats remains unclear. We tested the importance of trunk sensorimotor cortex in their locomotion using lesions guided by cortical microstimulation in P1/P2 weight-supporting neonatal spinalized rats and controls. In four intact control rats, lesions of hindlimb/trunk cortex caused no treadmill deficits. All spinalized rats lesioned in trunk cortex (
n
= 16: 4 transplant, 6 transect, 6 transect + fibrin glue) lost an average of about 40% of their weight support. Intact trunk cortex was essential to their level of function. Lesion of trunk cortex substantially increased roll of the hindquarters, which correlated to diminished weight support, but other kinematic stepping parameters showed little change. Embryonic day 14 (E14) transplants support development of the trunk motor representations in their normal location. We tested the role of novel relay circuits arising from the grafts in such cortical representations in E14 transplants using the rats that received (noncellular) fibrin glue grafting at P1/P2 (8 allografts and 32 xenografts). Fibrin-repaired rats with autonomous weight support also had trunk cortical representations similar to those of E14 transplant rats. Thus acellular repair and intrinsic plasticity were sufficient to support the observed features. Our data show that effective cortical mechanisms for trunk control are essential for autonomous weight support in P1/P2 spinalized rats and these can be achieved by intrinsic plasticity.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Trunk Sensorimotor Cortex Is Essential for Autonomous Weight-Supported Locomotion in Adult Rats Spinalized as P1/P2 Neonates
- Creators
- Simon Giszter - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicineMichelle R Davies - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicineArun Ramakrishnan - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicineUbong Ime Udoekwere - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicineWilliam J Kargo - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine
- Publication Details
- Journal of neurophysiology, v 100(2), pp 839-851
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurobiology and Anatomy; College of Nursing and Health Professions
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000258394500028
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-49649094752
- Other Identifier
- 991014877935304721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Industry collaboration
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Neurosciences
- Physiology