Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

7.5K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
7.5K
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

2.7K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
2.7K
Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

3.8K
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
3.8K
Plasticity00:58

Plasticity

3.1K
Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...
3.1K
Plasticizers01:31

Plasticizers

368
Water-reducers, or plasticizers, are chemical admixtures used in concrete to improve strength and workability. These additives reduce the water-cement ratio without compromising workability, lower the cement content while maintaining the same workability, or increase workability to assist concrete placement in inaccessible areas.
Plasticizers function by using surface-active agents to create repulsive electrostatic forces between cement particles. This dispersion enhances the concrete's...
368
Plastic Behavior01:21

Plastic Behavior

579
A material's elastic behavior is characterized by the disappearance of stress once the load is removed, allowing the material to return to its original state. However, when stress surpasses the yield point, yielding commences, marking the onset of plastic deformation or permanent set. This change from elastic to plastic behavior is influenced by the peak stress value and the duration before the load is removed. An intriguing observation occurs when a specimen is loaded, unloaded, and...
579

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

"Where Would You Stimulate?" Beliefs About Anatomical Relevance for Enhancing Motor Performance With Non-Invasive Electrical Stimulation.

Neurorehabilitation and neural repair·2026
Same author

Variability-dominated auditory cortical dysfunction and targeted VNS modulation in a Mecp2<sup>+/-</sup> model of Rett syndrome.

Experimental neurology·2026
Same author

At-Home Delivery of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Task-Specific Training Improves Performance of High-Priority Activities in Persons With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury or Stroke.

American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation·2026
Same author

Clinician Perceptions of Phonatory-Respiratory Kinematic Patterns in Primary Muscle Tension Dysphonia.

Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation·2026
Same author

Neuromodulator timing regulates adult cortical plasticity via the synaptic eligibility trace.

Brain stimulation·2025
Same author

Closed-Loop Vagus Nerve Stimulation Delivered With a Miniaturized System Produces Lasting Recovery in Individuals With Chronic Stroke.

Stroke·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Tool to Induce Plasticity in Pathways Relevant for Extinction Learning
11:02

Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Tool to Induce Plasticity in Pathways Relevant for Extinction Learning

Published on: August 21, 2015

24.5K

Vagus nerve stimulation intensity influences motor cortex plasticity.

Robert A Morrison1, Daniel R Hulsey2, Katherine S Adcock1

  • 1The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Richardson, TX, USA; The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, Richardson, TX, USA.

Brain Stimulation
|November 10, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Moderate intensity vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) optimally enhances motor cortex plasticity. Low or high intensity VNS did not significantly improve plasticity, suggesting an inverted-U relationship for VNS intensity and motor cortex reorganization.

Keywords:
Cortical reorganizationICMSMotor cortexMotor trainingPlasticityVagus nerve stimulation

More Related Videos

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
12:09

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

19.7K
Transauricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Electroencephalographic Assessment in Disorders of Consciousness
04:04

Transauricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Electroencephalographic Assessment in Disorders of Consciousness

Published on: July 11, 2025

1.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Tool to Induce Plasticity in Pathways Relevant for Extinction Learning
11:02

Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Tool to Induce Plasticity in Pathways Relevant for Extinction Learning

Published on: August 21, 2015

24.5K
Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
12:09

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

19.7K
Transauricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Electroencephalographic Assessment in Disorders of Consciousness
04:04

Transauricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Electroencephalographic Assessment in Disorders of Consciousness

Published on: July 11, 2025

1.5K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Cortex Plasticity
  • Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Background:

  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with motor training can enhance motor cortex reorganization.
  • Previous research indicates an inverted-U relationship between VNS intensity and plasticity in other brain regions.
  • The effect of VNS intensity on motor cortex plasticity remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that VNS intensity exhibits an inverted-U relationship with motor cortex plasticity.
  • To determine the optimal VNS intensity for enhancing motor cortex reorganization during motor training.

Main Methods:

  • Rats trained on a lever-pressing task emphasizing proximal forelimb use.
  • Behavioral training was paired with low (0.4 mA), moderate (0.8 mA), high (1.6 mA) intensity VNS, or sham stimulation.
  • Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) assessed motor cortex representations 24 hours post-training.

Main Results:

  • Moderate intensity VNS (0.8 mA) significantly increased proximal forelimb representation in the motor cortex.
  • Low (0.4 mA) and high (1.6 mA) intensity VNS did not produce significant changes in motor cortex representation.
  • Motor cortex plasticity demonstrated an inverted-U response to VNS intensity.

Conclusions:

  • Moderate intensity VNS (0.8 mA) is optimal for enhancing motor cortex plasticity.
  • Low and high intensity VNS failed to enhance plasticity, mirroring findings in other brain areas.
  • Motor cortex plasticity follows an inverted-U function of VNS intensity.