Authors
Michael A Urbin, Jennifer L Collinger, George F Wittenberg
Publication date
2021/9
Journal
The Journal of Physiology
Volume
599
Issue
18
Pages
4357-4373
Description
Key points
- Muscle weakness after stroke results from damage to corticospinal fibres that structurally and functionally connect cerebral cortex to the spinal cord.
- Here, we show an asymmetry in corticospinal recruitment of spinal motor neurons that is linked to maximal voluntary output of hand muscles weakened by stroke. Spike timing‐dependent plasticity of synapses between corticospinal and spinal motor neurons transiently reversed recruitment failures in some survivors. These modulatory effects were strongly associated with recruitment asymmetry and hand impairment.
- Our findings highlight the functional relevance of spinal motor neuron recruitment by corticospinal inputs and the viability of corticospinal motor neuronal synapses for restoring activation of lower motor neurons after stroke.
Abstract
Corticospinal input to spinal motor neurons is structurally and functionally altered by hemiparetic stroke. The …
Total citations
Scholar articles
MA Urbin, JL Collinger, GF Wittenberg - The Journal of Physiology, 2021