Reinstating the ability of the motor cortex to modulate cutaneomuscular reflexes in hemicerebellectomized rats

The pathways passing through the cerebellum calibrate cutaneomuscular responses. Indeed, the enhancement of cutaneomuscular responses associated with subthreshold high-frequency trains of stimulation applied on motor cortex following a period of peripheral repetitive stimulation (PRS) is prevented by hemicerebellectomy. We analysed the effects of low-frequency repetitive stimulation of motor cortex (LFRSM1) on interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) and on the modulation of cutaneomuscular reflexes in rats with left hemicerebellar ablation. IHI was assessed by paired-pulse method with a conditioning stimulus (CS) to M1 followed by a test stimulus (TS) to the opposite M1. LFRSM1 reduced IHI. Combination of LFRSM1 with PRS increased significantly the magnitudes of cutaneomuscular responses evoked ipsilaterally to the hemicerebellar ablation. The increase of the intensity of cutaneomuscular responses was correlated with the reduction of IHI. Excitability of anterior horn motoneurons pool, assessed by F-wave, remained unchanged. Conjunction of LFRSM1 with PRS can be used to restore the ability of the motor cortex to modulate the intensity of cutaneomuscular responses in case of extensive unilateral cerebellar lesion. This study underlines for the first time the potential role of callosal pathways in the deficits of corticomotor tuning of cutaneomuscular responses contralaterally to acute extensive cerebellar lesion.