Kinesiology 3480A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Alpha Motor Neuron, Prefrontal Cortex, Phantom Limb
13 Feb 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Lecture 9 - 11 movement neuroscience adam groh. A study was done experimenting on patients who had traumatic amputations. Researchers blew air on the patients" chins and foreheads. Mri"s of patients were taken before learning to juggle. They were then left for 3 months to practice 45 mins per day. After another mri at 3 months, there was a significant increase in cortical volume observed (in bilateral v5/mt processes motion info in environment, and the left parietal sulcus sensory to motor interface). Following 6 months without training, there was another mri, which showed a return to a baseline cortical volume in all patients. This study indicates that neural plasticity occurs in neurologically intact individuals, along with patients suffering from amputated limbs. It also demonstrates that plasticity can go in two directions it can increase, but also decrease. A leading neurosurgeon, ramachandran used mirror-boxes to treat those with phantom limb pain.
