Unveiling Changes in Sleep-Wake Neural Activity and Behavior After a Cortical Lesion In Vivo

Although neural activity during the sleep-wake cycle (SWC) is vastly acknowledged to play a role in brain restructuring, its involvement in stroke recovery is still unclear. In this study we focused on an in vivo model of ischemic stroke to investigate the spontaneous mechanisms driving motor recovery in the sensorimotor loop, investigating the activity underlying SWC states. We assessed activity in two cortical areas along the SWC by correlating the results of standard motor tests (grid walking and mirror) with electrophysiological biomarkers of multi-unit activity (mean firing rate, revised local variation, and burstiness index) across three sessions: control, 7 and 14 days after lesion induction. The lesioned rats displayed the effect of the lesion in both behavioral and spiking activities following a biphasic trend which suggests a putative compensatory mechanism, possibly mediated by plastic rearrangement. In our view, this phenomenon supports the rationale to harness SWC-mediated neuroplasticity for novel therapeutic strategies for motor rehabilitation.Clinical Relevance- The present work extends our understanding of the effects of an ischemic lesion on the sensorimotor cortex in relation with behavioral outcomes, considering the role of the SWC in brain functional reshaping. The evidence of spontaneous compensatory mechanisms further supports the rationale of novel electroceutical approaches to motor rehabilitation.