Limits on recovery in the corticospinal tract of the rat: partial lesions impair skilled reaching and the topographic representation of the forelimb in motor cortex.

摘要: Although evidence suggests that there are impairments in skilled movements following very large lesions of the pyramidal component corticospinal tract, behavioral and electrophysiological effects partial lesion has not received equal attention. Here, rats with complete or (medial, central, lateral third) tract at medullary pyramids were evaluated for their quantitative qualitative postsurgical performance on a reaching task, which topographic representation forelimb was mapped intracortical microstimulation (ICMS). Complete impaired success, features movements, abolished ICMS evoked movement from region motor cortex. did impair they aspects limb including forepaw aiming, supination, food pellet release. indicated reduction size area, especially distal area caudal (CFA), map. The vary location within tract. incomplete recovery, as measured both behaviorally electrophysiologically, demonstrates plasticity system is limited even permit substantial sparing fibers.