Modulation of Cortical Networks, a New Approach to Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

The proposed studies are innovative in that they shift the focus of spinal cord rehabilitation onto the circuit mechanisms of cortical network plasticity and will have far- reaching importance in translating treatments for both acute and chronic injuries to motor networks. The proposed studies are significant because they will elucidate the mechanisms by which circuit remodeling influences recovery, which will have far-reaching importance in translating treatments for both acute and chronic injuries to cortical motor networks. The expectation is that completion of the proposed research will generate new opportunities for pharmacological modulation and combinatorial treatments that enhance corticospinal axon regeneration while mediating cortical motor network reorganization.