Nature Communications (Dec 2019)

Enhancing plasticity in central networks improves motor and sensory recovery after nerve damage

  • Eric C. Meyers,
  • Nimit Kasliwal,
  • Bleyda R. Solorzano,
  • Elaine Lai,
  • Geetanjali Bendale,
  • Abigail Berry,
  • Patrick D. Ganzer,
  • Mario Romero-Ortega,
  • Robert L. Rennaker,
  • Michael P. Kilgard,
  • Seth A. Hays

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13695-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

Read online

Peripheral nerve damage generates maladaptive neuroplasticity as central networks attempt to compensate for the loss of peripheral connectivity. Here, the authors reverse the aberrant plasticity via vagus nerve stimulation to elicit synaptic reorganization and to improve sensorimotor recovery.