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Related Concept Videos

Neuroplasticity01:01

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
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Plasticity00:58

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Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Unilateral Pyramidotomy of the Corticospinal Tract in Rats for Assessment of Neuroplasticity-inducing Therapies
08:41

Unilateral Pyramidotomy of the Corticospinal Tract in Rats for Assessment of Neuroplasticity-inducing Therapies

Published on: December 15, 2014

Activity- and use-dependent plasticity of the developing corticospinal system.

John H Martin1, Kathleen M Friel, Iran Salimi

  • 1Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, N.Y.S. Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. jm17@columbia.edu

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|June 30, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Normal corticospinal (CS) system development in cats requires neural activity and motor experience. Harnessing activity-dependent processes can restore CS connections and function, offering hope for treating cerebral palsy.

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Published on: June 30, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • The corticospinal (CS) system is crucial for skilled motor control and undergoes significant development during prenatal and early postnatal stages.
  • In cats, CS tract axon development precedes motor map formation in the primary motor cortex, with skilled movements emerging as the map matures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of neural activity and motor experience in the development of CS connections.
  • To explore the potential for restoring normal CS connectivity and function after disruption.

Main Methods:

  • Studied CS system development in cats, including axon termination patterns and motor map formation.
  • Utilized reversible CS inactivation and limb use prevention to induce aberrant connections.
  • Investigated activity-dependent processes to restore CS function.

Main Results:

  • CS connection development in cats depends on neural activity and motor experience during a critical postnatal period.
  • CS inactivation or limb use prevention led to abnormal CS axon distribution and impaired visually guided movements.
  • These deficits in cats mirrored patterns observed in human cerebral palsy patients.

Conclusions:

  • Disruptions in CS connectivity during development lead to persistent motor impairments in cats.
  • Activity-dependent processes can be leveraged to normalize CS connections and function.
  • Findings suggest potential therapeutic strategies for restoring CS function in conditions like hemiplegic cerebral palsy.