![]() ![]() Fine motor skills are lost after a dorsal column lesion of the main CST, with a varying extent of spontaneous recovery 4, 5. Nevertheless, the CST is crucial for skilled forelimb motor control 1– 3. In rodents, however, the role of the corticospinal tract (CST) is more limited, with little effect on locomotion and hindlimb usage 1. The study of both the circuit plasticity and its molecular control will provide important biological basis for treating paralysis.įunctional restoration of the corticospinal motor system after spinal cord injury is of principal importance since it is essential for recovery of voluntary motor control 1. The molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying such functional recovery are poorly understood. Nonetheless, the complex circuitry can undergo remodeling to achieve variable levels of functional recovery with rehabilitative training. Due to the strong inhibitory environment in the injured adult spinal cord, especially in the glial scar, and reduced growth potential of adult axons, the original connections are usually not restored. Our study provides evidence that maximal circuit reorganization and functional recovery can be achieved by combining molecular manipulation and task-specific training.Ī large proportion of spinal cord injury patients have incomplete lesions, where parts of the spinal cord tissues remain intact. In the absence of weekly task-specific training, recruitment of ectopic cortical areas was greatly reduced without significant functional recovery even in Ryk cKO. Furthermore, a greater cortical area was dedicated to control the forelimb in Ryk cKO. Using optical stimulation, we observed that motor cortical output maps underwent massive changes after injury and the hindlimb cortical areas were recruited to control the forelimb over time. Eliminating the function of a repulsive Wnt receptor, Ryk, by either conditional knockout in the motor cortex or monoclonal antibody infusion, resulted in increased corticospinal axon collateral branches with pre-synaptic puncta in the spinal cord and enhanced recovery of forelimb reaching and grasping function following a cervical dorsal column lesion. Limited functional recovery can be achieved with rehabilitation after incomplete spinal cord injury. ![]()
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