motor plasticity

Non-invasive human neuroimaging studies of motor plasticity have predominantly focused on the cerebral cortex due to low signal-to-noise ration of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals in subcortical structures and the small effect sizes typically observed in plasticity paradigms. Precision functional mapping can help overcome these challenges and has revealed significant and reversible functional alterations in the cortico-subcortical motor circuit during arm immobilization

Visual and cross-modal plasticity in adult humans

Neuroplasticity is a fundamental property of the nervous system that is maximal early in life, within a specific temporal window called critical period. However, it is still unclear to which extent the plastic potential of the visual cortex is retained in adulthood. We have surprisingly revealed residual ocular dominance plasticity in adult humans by showing that short-term monocular deprivation unexpectedly boosts the deprived eye (both at the perceptual and at the neural level), reflecting homeostatic plasticity. This effect is accompanied by a decrease of GABAergic inhibition in the primary visual cortex and can be modulated by non-visual factors (motor activity and motor plasticity). Finally, we have found that cross-modal plasticity is preserved in adult normal-sighted humans, as short-term monocular deprivation can alter early visuo-tactile interactions. Taken together, these results challenge the classical view of a hard-wired adult visual cortex, indicating that homeostatic plasticity can be reactivated in adult humans.