Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
Neuroscience. 2010 Apr 28;167(1):21-30. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.02.001. Epub 2010 Feb 8.
Compensatory movements mediate success in skilled reaching for food after stroke to the forelimb region of motor cortex (MtCx) in the rat. The present study asks whether the neural plasticity that enables compensation after motor stroke is preserved in aging. In order to avoid potential confounding effects of age-related negative-learning, rats were trained in a single pellet reaching task during young-adulthood. Subgroups were retested before and after contralateral forelimb MtCx stroke via pial stripping given at 3, 18, or 23 months of age. Over a two-month post-stroke rehabilitation period, end point measures were made of learned nonuse, recovery, retention, and performance ratings were made of reaching movement elements. Prior to stroke, young and aged rats maintained equivalent end point performance but older rats displayed compensatory changes in limb use as measured with ratings of the elements of forelimb movement. Following stroke, the aged groups of rats were more impaired on end point, movement, and anatomical measures. Nevertheless, the aged rats displayed substantial recovery via the use of compensatory movements. Thus, this study demonstrates that the neural plasticity that mediates compensatory movements after stroke in young adults is preserved prior to and following stroke in aging.
代偿性运动介导了脑卒中后大鼠运动皮层前肢区域（MtCx）熟练取食的成功。本研究旨在探讨是否能在老年中保留脑卒中后代偿所需的神经可塑性。为避免与年龄相关的负性学习的潜在混杂效应，年轻成年大鼠在单个颗粒取食任务中接受训练。在 3、18 或 23 个月时通过软脑膜剥离对侧前肢 MtCx 卒中后，对亚组进行了术前和术后测试。在脑卒中后的两个月康复期间，对习得性不用进行了终点测量，对恢复、保留和运动动作要素的表现进行了评定。在脑卒中之前，年轻和老年大鼠保持了等效的终点表现，但老年大鼠在评定前肢运动要素时表现出了代偿性肢体使用的变化。脑卒中后，老年组在终点、运动和解剖学测量上的损伤更大。尽管如此，老年大鼠通过使用代偿性运动表现出了显著的恢复。因此，本研究表明，在年轻成年人脑卒中后介导代偿性运动的神经可塑性在老年中脑卒中前后是保留的。
