Mattijs Elschot1,2, Serge A R B Rombouts3,4, Martijn JA Malessy5, Catrien A. Schimmelpenninck3,6, Matthias J P van Osch3,4, Ivan Toni1, David G. Norris1,7, Mark A. van Buchem3, Pieter F. Buur1,3
1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands; 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands; 3Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands, Leiden, Netherlands; 4Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Leiden, Netherlands; 5Department of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands; 6Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands; 7Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany , Essen, Germany
The functional reorganization of the motor system in patients that have undergone a nerve transfer from the intercostal muscles to the biceps to restore biceps function is investigated. In these patients, control over the biceps progresses from a stage in which it is coupled to deep breathing to a state of volitional control. Differences in brain activity between patients and a control in multiple areas of the motor network group when performing biceps contraction indicate suggest cortical plasticity related to the functional recovery. These results give more insight in the underlying mechanisms of cortical reorganization following peripheral injury.