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Changes in Primary Somatosensory Cortex Following Allogeneic Hand Transplantation or Autogenic Hand Replantation
B A Philip1,2, K F Valyear1,3, C M Cirstea4
1University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO, USA.
Hand restoration surgery, including transplantation and replantation, shows primary somatosensory cortex (S1) function within typical ranges. However, individual variability and low-amplitude responses suggest significant post-deafferentation brain plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Reconstructive Surgery
- Neuroplasticity
Background:
- Hand restoration (transplantation/replantation) offers insights into nervous system plasticity after deafferentation.
- Previous studies on S1 changes post-hand restoration were limited by small sample sizes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate primary somatosensory cortex (S1) responses to tactile stimulation in individuals who underwent hand restoration.
- To compare S1 function in hand restoration patients with typical adults and unilateral amputees.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measured S1 activity during tactile stimulation of fingertips and face.
- Stimulation was applied to both affected and intact hands in 5 hand restoration patients.
- Data were compared to 29 typical adults and 19 unilateral amputees.
Main Results:
- Hand restoration patients' affected S1 showed typical, though low-amplitude, responses to stimulation of the affected hand.
- Responses to the intact hand varied significantly, with some patients exhibiting ipsilateral S1 activation similar to amputees.
- Current amputees showed more substantial S1 reorganization than hand restoration patients.
Conclusions:
- Hand restoration patients exhibit S1 function within the range of typical adults and amputees, characterized by individual variability.
- Low-amplitude and variable S1 responses suggest significant cortical reorganization following deafferentation and re-afferentation.
- Tactile sensory localization improved over time in transplant patients, independent of S1 response changes.
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