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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
09:42
Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface in Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Motor Dysfunction After Stroke
Published on: September 1, 2023
Remapping the somatosensory cortex after stroke: insight from imaging the synapse to network
Ian R Winship1, Timothy H Murphy
1Department of Psychiatry (NRU), Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Summary
Stroke damages sensory cortex maps, causing nearby neurons to adapt. These neurons initially process multiple body parts, later becoming more selective but potentially altering map territories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroplasticity
- Stroke Recovery
Background:
- Topographically organized sensory cortex maps represent body parts.
- Stroke disrupts these maps, leading to unclear rules for recovery.
- Sensory representations remap onto surviving neurons after stroke.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review sensory remapping after stroke.
- To investigate neuronal response property alterations during remapping using novel imaging techniques.
Main Methods:
- Review of sensory remapping mechanisms post-stroke.
- In vivo 2-photon calcium imaging of somatosensory cortex neurons.
Main Results:
- One month post-stroke, peri-infarct neurons process stimuli from multiple limbs.
- Two months post-stroke, remapped neurons show stronger response preference.
- Remapping involves neurons adopting new functions and potentially encroaching on other map territories.
Conclusions:
- Surviving neurons initiate remapping by adopting new roles.
- Remapped neurons may represent a transitional phase towards new sensorimotor functions.
- Understanding remapping is crucial for stroke recovery research.
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