Disruption of corticospinal plasticity by 6-hydroxydopamine as measured by intracortical microstimulation in rats.
Intracortical microstimulation in normal, adult rats evoked low-threshold contralateral and high-threshold ipsilateral forelimb movements. In comparison, stimulation of the intact cortex in adult rats that sustained unilateral cortical lesions at birth evoked ipsilateral movements at abnormally low-threshold levels in addition to normal contralateral movements. Depletion of cortical and spinal cord noradrenaline levels by treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine prior to the placement of neonatal cortical lesions eliminated the low-threshold ipsilateral movements when tested at maturity. These findings suggest that the noradrenergic system may influence corticospinal plasticity.
Castro
A J
AJ
Kartje-Tillotson
G
G
Barnes
D
D
Swenson
R S
RS
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008845:Microinjections; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D016627:Oxidopamine; D051381:Rats; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D016627:Oxidopamine