Perani D, Brunelli G A, Tettamanti M, Scifo P, Tecchio F, Rossini P M, Fazio F
Institute of Neuroscience and Bioimaging-CNR, University Vita-Salute HSR, Milano Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Neurosci Lett. 2001 Apr 27;303(1):62-6. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(01)01649-4.
The adult mammalian brain has the capacity of reorganising its neural connections in response to lesions/modifications of the peripheral and central nervous system. We show in vivo, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), that in paraplegics the lower-limb sensorimotor cortex is invaded by the arm representation. This functional reshaping appears to be reversible. Indeed, surgical transfer of the ulnar nerve to the ipsilateral quadriceps and hip muscles allowed their contraction in a paraplegic patient. During fMRI, these voluntary movements activated the hip and thigh representation in sensorimotor cortex. We suggest that the functional recovery of the lower-limb functional maps might have been driven by the restored somatosensory inputs from the reactivated periphery. The voluntary movements of the lower-limbs are regained through the 're-awakening' of the corresponding sensorimotor cortex.
成年哺乳动物的大脑有能力根据外周和中枢神经系统的损伤/改变来重新组织其神经连接。我们利用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）在活体中显示，在截瘫患者中，上肢的表征侵入了下肢感觉运动皮层。这种功能重塑似乎是可逆的。事实上，将尺神经手术转移到同侧股四头肌和髋部肌肉，使得一名截瘫患者能够收缩这些肌肉。在fMRI期间，这些自主运动激活了感觉运动皮层中髋部和大腿的表征。我们认为，下肢功能图谱的功能恢复可能是由重新激活的外周恢复的体感输入驱动的。下肢的自主运动是通过相应感觉运动皮层的“重新唤醒”而恢复的。
