– Possibilities for motor function recovery by appropriate facilitation of brain changes –
Researchers: YAMAMOTO Tatsuya, Collaborating Visitor, HIGO Noriyuki, Leader, and MURATA Yumi, Senior Researcher, Neurorehabilitation Research Group, Human Informatics Research Institute
Permanent lesions were generated in the brains of model animals and changes in the neural pathways of the brains during the process of motor function recovery were investigated, through joint research with the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN). As a result, it was discovered that a new neural pathway was formed.
Discovery of neural pathway formation that underlies functional changes in the brain needed for motor function recovery following brain damage
Brain damage due to strokes or other factors often leaves sequelae even after rehabilitation, and is one of the leading causes of disorder requiring nursing care after it occurs. Neurorehabilitation is anticipated to have the potential to better facilitate functional recovery following brain damage compared to conventional methods. However, changes in the brain that achieve recovery are not well understood. Recently it is thought that the essence of neurorehabilitation is to facilitate the “formation of compensatory neural pathways” that play an important role in functional recovery rather than to regenerate the damaged area itself. However, the specific changes in neural pathways remained unclear.
A lesion was induced in the primary motor cortex that conveys motor output in the healthy state, and then histochemical analysis using an anatomical tracer called biotinylated dextran amine was performed to observe changes in the neural pathways occurring in the ventral premotor cortex. The results revealed that subjects with brain damage have a neural pathway that is not present in healthy subjects, and it is thought that this pathway was formed during the motor function recovery process following the brain damage. In addition, verification whether the newly formed neural pathway form synapses discovered the expression of proteins that constitute synapses, which suggests that synapses capable of transmitting information were formed.
AIST will analyze changes at the genetic level and RIKEN will analyze changes in the neuronal network structure. Through these analyses, the detailed processes related to functional recovery following brain damage will be investigated from various perspectives. AIST and RIKEN intend to share these findings and cooperate with other organizations to develop new neurorehabilitation technologies.