Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
08:36
A Versatile Murine Model of Subcortical White Matter Stroke for the Study of Axonal Degeneration and White Matter Neurobiology
Published on: March 17, 2016
Somatotopic mismatch following stroke: a pathophysiological condition escaping detection.
Ingvars Birznieks1, Inara Logina, Gunnar Wasner
1School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. i.birznieks@uws.edu.au
BMJ Case Reports
|October 10, 2012
Summary
Stroke patients often have limited sensory testing, but a new case reveals chaotic, scrambled sensory maps in one patient. This finding could explain sensory deficits and central pain, suggesting tailored rehabilitation strategies are needed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Neurology
- Sensory Neuroscience
Background:
- Clinical evaluation of somatosensory deficits post-stroke is limited, often omitting somatotopic organization testing.
- Somatotopic organization is crucial for interpreting sensory input and sensorimotor control.
Observation:
- Detailed tactile testing was performed on a stroke patient's left hand, revealing significant sensory deficits and central pain.
- The testing showed severe distortion in somatotopic sensory maps, with incorrect localization of stimuli.
Findings:
- This case report is the first to describe chaotic, scrambled somatosensory maps following a stroke.
- This differs from previously reported gross somatotopic remapping within reduced representational space.
Implications:
- Investigating somatotopic organization in stroke patients may uncover causes of functional deficits, including central pain.
- The findings suggest a need for developing specific rehabilitation strategies for patients with scrambled somatosensory maps.
- Understanding these map distortions is key to improving patient outcomes and sensorimotor function.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:15Ischemic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
An ischemic stroke occurs when a cerebral blood vessel becomes obstructed, most often by a thrombus or embolus, interrupting the delivery of oxygen and glucose to brain tissue. Because neurons rely on continuous aerobic metabolism, energy failure begins within minutes of reduced perfusion. The region receiving the least blood flow becomes the infarct core, an area of irreversible cellular death. Surrounding this core lies the penumbra, a zone of hypoperfused but still viable tissue that is...
01:25Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology
Early Ischemia and Ionic ImbalanceWithin minutes of spinal cord injury, a secondary cascade begins, progressing over hours to weeks. Vascular damage reduces blood flow, causing ischemia and mitochondrial dysfunction. ATP depletion leads to ion pump failure, membrane depolarization, sodium influx, potassium efflux, and water accumulation, resulting in cellular swelling. Increased intracellular calcium further disrupts mitochondria and accelerates cellular injury.Excitotoxicity and Neuronal...
01:33Somatosensation
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
01:24Prosopagnosia
Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is the inability to recognize faces. In severe cases, individuals with prosopagnosia may not recognize close family members, including parents and spouses, by their faces. For instance, someone with prosopagnosia might walk past their child in a crowd, only realizing their mistake upon noticing their child's distinctive backpack or favorite jacket. Prosopagnosia specifically impairs facial recognition, while the recognition of other objects or...
01:29Hemorrhagic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
A hemorrhagic stroke develops when a cerebral blood vessel ruptures, allowing blood to escape into the surrounding brain tissue, as in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), or into the subarachnoid space, as in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Because the skull is a rigid compartment, the sudden presence of extravascular blood rapidly increases intracranial pressure and compresses adjacent neural structures, leading to immediate tissue injury and impaired cerebral perfusion.Mass Effect and Primary...
01:14Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology
Spinal cord injury progresses through two interconnected phases: primary injury and secondary injury.Primary InjuryPrimary injury happens at the moment of trauma and involves immediate mechanical damage to the spinal cord.Compression happens when broken vertebrae, herniated discs, or accumulating blood (such as a hematoma) press directly against the spinal cord, distorting its normal shape and function. In cases of contusion, the cord is bruised by a blunt force (like penetrating injuries or...