title: Structural preservation of deafferented cortex induced by electrical stimulation of a sensory peripheral nerve.
abstract: Any manipulation to natural sensory input has direct effects on the morphology and physiology of the Central Nervous System. In the particular case of amputations, sensory areas of the brain undergo degenerative processes with a marked reduction in neuronal activity and global disinhibition. This is probably due to a deregulation of the circuits devoted to the control of the cortical activity. These changes are detected in the organization of the representational maps, the metabolic labeling by 2-deoxyglucose or cytochrome oxidase, the density of afferent and efferent axonal connections and the reduced expression of inhibitory neurotransmitters. In the present study, performed in animals, we have evaluated the therapeutic potential of Brain Machine Interfaces in reversing or limiting the degenerative/deregulation processes of amputations. Applying electrical stimulation on amputated peripheral nerves, we have achieved to maintain in approximately normal values 1) the cortical activity and 2) the expression of GABA-associated molecules of the inhibitory interneurons of the primary somatosensory cortex.
authors.affiliation: Neurocomputing and Neurorobotics Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Spain. celia.herrer@opt.ucm.es
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrera-Rincon
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torets
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Jimenez
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Avendaño
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guillen
authors.forename: Fivos
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panetsos
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D064026:Calbindins; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000601:surgery*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D064026:Calbindins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV