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Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping
Published on: August 12, 2019
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Rapid functional reorganization in human cortex following neural perturbation
Theodore P Zanto1, James Z Chadick, Gabriela Satris
1Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, and Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.
Summary
The human brain can quickly reorganize neural activity to maintain working memory performance, even when neural function is disrupted. This rapid functional reorganization demonstrates the brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The human brain exhibits remarkable plasticity, rapidly reorganizing neuronal activity in response to environmental interactions like learning.
- It is not well understood if similar rapid compensatory mechanisms exist following external disruptions to cortical function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the brain's capacity for rapid functional reorganization following acute cortical perturbation.
- To determine if compensatory mechanisms can maintain cognitive abilities, specifically working memory, on a short timescale.
Main Methods:
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was used to transiently disrupt neural function in specific brain regions.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to monitor brain activity during a working memory task.
- Performance on the working memory task was assessed before and during rTMS application.
Main Results:
- rTMS successfully disrupted neural activity within task-relevant brain areas.
- Despite the neural disruption, working memory performance remained unaffected.
- A novel brain region, not typically involved in the task, was recruited to compensate and maintain performance.
Conclusions:
- The human brain demonstrates rapid functional reorganization of cortical activity within minutes of neural disruption.
- This swift reorganization is a compensatory mechanism that effectively maintains cognitive abilities, such as working memory.
- These findings highlight the brain's resilience and adaptability in the face of acute perturbations.
