title: Transhemispheric cortical plasticity following contralateral C7 nerve transfer: a rat functional magnetic resonance imaging survival study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform contralateral C7 nerve transfer in a controlled, survival rat functional magnetic resonance imaging model, so as to understand the extent of cortical plasticity after brachial plexus injury and surgical manipulation with this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24 rats divided into 3 groups underwent surgery followed by functional magnetic resonance imaging in this study. Group I rats served as sham controls. Group II injury rats underwent complete right brachial plexus root avulsion. Group III repair rats underwent complete right brachial plexus root avulsion and then contralateral C7 nerve transfer to the right median nerve. We assessed cortical response to median nerve stimulation at 0, 3, and 5 months after injury using functional magnetic resonance imaging at 9.4 T. We concurrently performed sensory and motor functional testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We noted a progression in cortical activation in the repair rats over 0, 3, and 5 months. Initially, right median nerve stimulation in the repair group showed complete loss of activation in the contralateral somatosensory cortex. Nerve stimulation at 3 months produced primarily ipsilateral cortical activation; at 5 months, 3 patterns of cortical activation emerged: ipsilateral, bilateral, and contralateral activation. After right median nerve stimulation, injury rats maintained a lack of cortical activation and control rats maintained exclusive contralateral activation throughout all time points. Functional testing revealed a degree of return of sensory and motor function over time in the repair group compared with the injured group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high degree of transhemispheric cortical plasticity occurred after contralateral C7 nerve transfer. There appears to be a predilection for the rat brain to restore the preinjury somatotopic representation of the brain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding the cortical changes after nerve injury and repair may lead to specific pharmacologic or behavioral interventions that can improve functional outcomes.
authors: Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
authors: J B
authors: JB
authors: Stephenson
authors: Rupeng
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: Ji-Geng
authors: JG
authors: Yan
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Hyde
authors: Hani
authors: H
authors: Matloub
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D002572:Cervical Plexus / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000637:transplantation; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000601:surgery