Brain and behaviour in post-acute stroke: Reduction in seeking and posterior cingulate neuronal variability

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Stroke is a complex neurological event affecting brain and behavior.
• Subcortical damage plays a critical role in post-stroke reorganization.
• Understanding neuronal and behavioral changes is key for recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between subcortical lesions, brain activity, and exploration behavior (SEEKING) after stroke.
• To explore functional changes in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in stroke patients.
• To correlate neuronal variability with behavioral deficits.

Main Methods:

• Anatomical lesion analysis of 24 stroke patients.
• Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to assess neuronal variability.
• Behavioral assessment focusing on SEEKING, compared to 22 healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Predominant subcortical lesions were observed in stroke patients.
• Reduced neuronal variability in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was found, despite no structural damage.
• Stroke patients exhibited reduced SEEKING behavior, linked to altered PCC neuronal variability.

Conclusions:

• Subcortical damage may drive cortical dysfunction (PCC) and behavioral changes post-stroke.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering subcortical involvement in stroke rehabilitation.
• Optimizing early rehabilitation strategies can mitigate stroke's impact on patients and caregivers.