Increased functional connectivity after stroke correlates with behavioral scores in non-human primate model

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Primate models
• Stroke research

Background:

• Stroke significantly impacts neural function and behavior.
• Understanding post-stroke neural changes is crucial for recovery.
• Non-human primate (NHP) models offer insights into human stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize functional connectivity (FC) changes after middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke in NHPs.
• To determine if FC alterations correlate with preserved behavioral capacities.
• To validate FC analysis as a method for studying stroke-induced neural changes.

Main Methods:

• Experimental MCA occlusion in eleven cynomolgus monkeys.
• Control group of five monkeys.
• Neurological assessment using fine motor tasks and the Nonhuman Primate Stroke Scale (NHPSS) one month post-stroke.
• Structural and functional connectivity analyses.

Main Results:

• Three significant FC changes correlated with behavioral outcomes.
• Specific FC pathways (e.g., right sensorimotor-right lateral intraparietal) linked to task performance.
• Stronger FC consistently correlated with better behavioral performance.
• Involved sensorimotor cortices beyond the stroke-affected hemisphere.

Conclusions:

• Functional connectivity analysis is a relevant methodology for NHP stroke models.
• FC changes after stroke correlate with behavioral recovery.
• Neural changes influencing behavior are not limited to the lesioned hemisphere.