Affiliations: [a] Department of Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| [b] Department of Morphology, Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED), Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| [c] Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| [d] Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| [e] Department of Neurosurgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ali Jahanshahi, Department of Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 43 3884124; E-mail: a.jahanshahianvar@maastrichtuniversity.nl. and Sven Hendrix, Department of Morphology, Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium. Tel.: +32 11 269246; E-mail: sven.hendrix@uhasselt.be.
Note: [1] Sven Hendrix and Yasin Temel contributed equally to this article.
Abstract: Background: Motor impairments are among the major complications that develop after cortical damage caused by either stroke or traumatic brain injury. Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) can improve motor functions in animal models of stroke by inducing neuroplasticity. Objective: In the current study, the therapeutic effect of chronic MCS was assessed in a rat model of severe cortical damage. Methods: A controlled cortical impact (CCI) was applied to the forelimb area of the motor cortex followed by implantation of a flat electrode covering the lesioned area. Forelimb function was assessed using the Montoya staircase test and the cylinder test before and after a period of chronic MCS. Furthermore, the effect of MCS on tissue metabolism and lesion size was measured using [18F]-fluorodesoxyglucose (FDG) μPET scanning. Results: CCI caused a considerable lesion at the level of the motor cortex and dorsal striatum together with a long-lasting behavioral phenotype of forelimb impairment. However, MCS applied to the CCI lesion did not lead to any improvement in limb functioning when compared to non-stimulated control rats. Also, MCS neither changed lesion size nor distribution of FDG. Conclusion: The use of MCS as a standalone treatment did not improve motor impairments in a rat model of severe cortical damage using our specific treatment modalities.
Keywords: Motor cortex stimulation, motor impairment, rehabilitation, behavioral tests, PET
