Complete Compensation in Skilled Reaching Success with Associated Impairments in Limb Synergies, after Dorsal Column Lesion in the Rat

摘要: Each of the dorsal columns rat spinal cord conveys primary sensory information, by way medullary column nucleus, to ventrobasal thalamus on contralateral side; thus are an important source neural input sensorimotor cortex. Damage causes impairments in synergistic proximal or whole-body movements cats and distal limb primates, particularly multiarticulated finger tactile foviation while handling objects, but behavioral effects afferent fiber lesions rodents have not been described. Female Long-Evans rats were trained reach with a forelimb for food pellets subsequently received dorsomedial at C2 level, ipsilateral their preferred limb. Reaching success completely recovered within few days lesion. Nevertheless, detailed analysis high-speed video recordings revealed that rotatory (aiming, pronation, supination, etc.) irreversibly impaired. Compensation was achieved alternate movements. These results indicate following: (1) absence columns, other pathways support endpoint reaching; (2) conveyed is both used skilled (3) analyses addition measures necessary describe lesions.