Motor deficits

Mutations in dozens of chromatin regulators have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. One of these genes is chromodomain helicase DNA binding 2 (CHD2), encoding for a chromatin modifier with largely unknown neuronal functions. In humans, heterozygous loss of function mutations in CHD2 are associated with severe childhood-onset epilepsy, global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and autistic-like features. Here, we characterized the epileptic and behavioral phenotypes of a mouse model with Chd2 haploinsufficiency (Chd2+/m and Chd2m/m mice). Interestingly, we discovered th

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) leads to significant motor deficits, but is often incomplete with spared fibers across the lesion and intact sensory feedback reaching the spinal circuits. This study seeks to enhance the integration of residual supraspinal commands with spinal-level sensory input to improve motor function by inducing adaptive plasticity within the neuronal networks below the site of injury. To selectively increase the supraspinal locomotor drive, we targeted the cuneiform nucleus (CnF) using viral vector delivery of optogenetic activators in a thoracic incomplete SCI mouse model. Phys

…for the proper maturation of sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. Despite the large amount of evidence on adult stroke, very little it is still known about the impact of a stroke occurring during perinatal ages in the developing brai

Ischemic stroke, a major cause of adult disability, results from the blockage of blood flow to the brains, leading to neurological impairments. After a stroke, the neural circuits in the peri-infarct zone undergo plastic changes to allow a spontaneous restoration of the neurological function. However, the extent of spontaneous recovery is highly variable among patients, underscoring the need for neurophysiological biomarkers to predict recovery outcomes and guide treatment strategies. Employing a well-established model of ischemic stroke in mice, the distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dM

Aim. Obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is a common motor impairing condition caused by birth injury. The present study, using voxel- and surface-based morphometry (VBM and SBM), was aimed to examine brain structure of pediatric OBPP patients, to better understand effects of this peripheral condition on early brain development. Methods. Thirty-six T1-weighted images of 18 patients (2-17 years old, mean age=11.3, 8 females) and 18 healthy controls (HC) (2-17 years old, mean age=10.1, 8 females) were collected via Philips Ingenia ElitionX 3.0T scanner. MRI data were processed and analyzed us

…Parkinson’s disease (PD), leading to motor deficits and a broad range of non-motor symptoms. As no curative treatment currently exists for PD, cell replacement therapy involving the transplantation of dopaminergic neuron precursors into patient brains represents a promising mode of treatment. Several studies have shown a range of transcriptional subtypes that exist among mDA neurons, with implications for their eventual axonal targets and synaptic function. Grafts that contain contaminating cell types su

…of external devices for people with motor deficits by providing a bridge between brain signals and motor actions to replace and restore beneficial function. To measure neural response, Electrocorticography (ECoG) has been utilized as an effective modality for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Many studies have shown that both motor imagery and movement execution are located in the frontoparietal region of the brain (Hardwick et. al., 2018). In this study, we aim to demonstrate a shared representation o

…persistent cognitive, behavioral and motor deficits. Mutations in the CACNA1A gene, encoding the pore-forming α1 subunit of CaV2.1 voltage-gated calcium channels, result in a spectrum of neurological disorders, including severe, early-onset epileptic encephalopathies. Recent work from the Rossignol lab helped characterize the phenotypic spectrum of CACNA1A-relate