Neural Plasticity最新文献

{"title":"Effects of Acupuncture on Cerebral Blood Flow in Episodic Migraine Patients Investigated by Arterial Spin Labeling MRI.","authors":"Tomokazu Kikuchi, Satoru Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Matsuda, Kazuhiro Tsuchiya, Nobuo Araki","doi":"10.1155/np/3493770","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/3493770","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the temporal dynamics of cerebral blood flow (CBF) responses to Japanese-style acupuncture in patients with episodic migraine using arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to compare these responses with those of healthy controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with episodic migraine were recruited according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3), and healthy volunteers without migraine served as controls. Japanese-style acupuncture was administered for 10 min at four clinically relevant cranio-cervical acupoints (ST8, ST6, GB21, and GB12) using nonmagnetic silver needles (0.2 mm in diameter). All acupuncture procedures were performed by the same licensed acupuncturist. CBF was assessed during the interictal period using repeated ASL MRI at baseline, during acupuncture stimulation (early and late phases), immediately after needle removal, and 15 and 30 min after stimulation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven patients with episodic migraine (3 men and 8 women; mean age, 39.1 ± 4.6 years) and 11 healthy volunteers (4 men and 7 women; mean age, 32.3 ± 9.2 years) were included in the final analysis. Both groups demonstrated increased cerebral perfusion within the operculum, insula, cingulate cortex, and thalamus during acupuncture stimulation. In healthy controls, these perfusion changes gradually returned toward baseline following stimulation. In contrast, patients with episodic migraine exhibited more prolonged cerebral perfusion responses that persisted after needle removal and extended into frontal cortical regions. Compared with healthy controls, migraine patients demonstrated greater temporal persistence of cerebral perfusion modulation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Temporally organized cerebral perfusion changes were observed during and after Japanese-style acupuncture in both healthy controls and patients with episodic migraine. Compared with healthy controls, patients with episodic migraine exhibited cerebral perfusion changes that remained evident during the poststimulation period. These exploratory findings suggest differences in the temporal dynamics of cerebral perfusion between the two groups. Further controlled studies are required to determine the specificity and physiological significance of these responses.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR): UMIN000005644.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e3493770"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13639932/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149112700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Impact of Dance Training on the Structural Plasticity of Empathy-Related Brain Networks.","authors":"Gujing Li, Hui He, Yuanyuan Yu, Yayun Liu, María Luisa Bringas Vega, Benjamin Klugah-Brown, Frank Pollick, Jing Lu, Ling Quan, Lixue Yin, Li Mi, Dezhong Yao, Roberto Rodriguez-Labrad, Mingjun Duan, Cheng Luo","doi":"10.1155/np/2899142","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/2899142","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dance integrates bodily movement, rhythmic perception, and emotional expression, engaging complex sensorimotor and affective systems. However, its impact on the structural organization of empathy-related brain networks remains insufficiently understood. In this study, we adopted a data-driven approach to construct a structural empathy network based on neuroimaging data from 80 healthy university students and applied Granger causality analysis (GCA) to identify the directional impact of empathy on regional gray matter changes. Empathy ability was assessed using the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI) scale. To further examine training-induced neuroplasticity, we employed an independent sample consisting of 25 dancers and 25 musicians, alongside 40 matched controls without formal artistic experience. Inter-regional structural similarity, based on gray matter probability distributions, was calculated to capture modality-specific plasticity due to dance/music training. Compared to musicians and controls, dancers exhibited significantly higher gray matter probability distributions, which indicates enhanced structural similarity between the left superior temporal gyrus and the left precuneus, left postcentral gyrus, and right paracentral lobule. Notably, this increased structural similarity was also associated with the empathy score (r = -0.87, p < 0.05, family-wise error [FWE] corrected). These findings suggest strengthened cross-modal integration between perceptual and sensorimotor systems, potentially underpinning affective resonance. Our findings highlight the domain-specific neuroplasticity of the structural empathy network induced by dance training and provide novel insights into how embodied practices shape socio-emotional brain circuits. Chinese Clinical Trials Register: ChiCTR2200059526.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e2899142"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13094407/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147729574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential Impacts of Fronto-Cerebellar tACS and tVNS on Motor Learning: Evidence for Sex-Related Neural Modulation.","authors":"Viola Oldrati, Marco Nave, Sara Boscarol, Andrea Ciricugno, Maria Arioli, Zaira Cattaneo, Cosimo Urgesi, Alessandra Finisguerra","doi":"10.1155/np/3295986","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/3295986","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques rely on distinct mechanisms and engage different neural circuits. For instance, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) targets cortical networks directly, while transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) influences the brain via peripheral input, reflecting top-down versus bottom-up plasticity pathways. Despite their potentialities in modulating plasticity, reports of intra and inter-subjects variability hamper their reliability as therapeutic approaches for neurorehabilitation. Here, we tested whether sex can represent a possible source of variability. We examined whether tACS and tVNS protocols affect motor learning and explored sex differences among 96 healthy adults, employing a sham-controlled, between-subjects design. A total of 48 participants (24 females) received fronto-cerebellar tACS at an individualized gamma frequency (30-80 Hz), while 48 participants (24 females) underwent tVNS applied to the cymba conchae. Both stimulations were delivered during the performance of a unimanual visuomotor task. Participants used their right index finger to click and drag an object from the center of the screen to a target bin. Analyses were conducted on precision error (PE), the Euclidean distance between the target bin and drop point, and readiness, measured by reaction times (RTs) from paper appearance to click-to-collect. Results showed an influence of sex on tACS effects on PE: on average, female participants improved precision for near targets, whereas male participants improved for far targets, with substantial overlap between groups. This was accompanied by a slowing of RTs in both sexes. tVNS had no significant effect on PE for either sex but showed distinct effects on readiness: slowing RTs in the male participants and speeding them in the female participants. The results highlight the need to consider sex as a critical factor modulating the effects of NIBS and explore the underlying cognitive, neural, and physiological mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e3295986"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13570420/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Different Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Targets for Enhancing Motor Learning: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Alfredo Lerín-Calvo, Marcos Moreno-Verdú, Lorena Remón-Ramiro, Robert M Hardwick, Carlota Lasheras-Cuerda, Sergio Lerma-Lara, Raúl Ferrer-Peña","doi":"10.1155/np/6487874","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/6487874","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) cortices play a key role in motor learning (ML), but the physiological mechanisms underlying learning in these regions remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied over S1 or M1 to enhance use-dependent and reinforcement-like ML in healthy participants.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A single-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 60 healthy participants, randomly assigned to receive rTMS over M1, S1, or sham. Participants underwent a 10-day motor training protocol involving an arbitrary visuomotor association (AVMA) task to promote reinforcement learning and the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) to promote use-dependent learning, always after rTMS. The primary outcome measure was the number of pegs placed in the PPT, and the secondary outcome was the response accuracy during a forced response (FR) version of the AVMA. Assessments were conducted at baseline, mid-intervention (t1), postintervention (t2), and at 1-month follow-up (t3).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For use-dependent learning on the PPT, S1 stimulation outperformed sham at t1 (right hand), t2 (both hands), and t3 (both hands). M1 stimulation showed no significant differences versus sham. For reinforcement learning on the forced response-AVMA (FR-AVMA), no active group differed from sham; however, S1 and M1 showed opposite numerical tendencies at t3 (S1 trending better, M1 worse), yielding a significant S1-M1 contrast.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that rTMS over S1 may enhance use-dependent ML, while the divergent S1 and M1 tendencies in reinforcement-like learning warrant further, adequately powered investigation, with implications for future research in both healthy and clinical populations.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06262425.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e6487874"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581060/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148164072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electroacupuncture Relieves Neuropathic Pain by Suppressing ACC Pyramidal Activity via mGluR5 Inhibition in CCI Mice.","authors":"Xiuxiu Zhuang, Ledan Huang, Fubei Nan, Shuangdong Chen, Junlu Wang, Yunchang Mo, Anqi Zhang","doi":"10.1155/np/9427819","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/9427819","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely used for analgesia, but its central mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated whether EA alleviates neuropathic pain by suppressing metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In naïve mice, we manipulated ACC pyramidal neurons using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors encoding calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-driven opsins-channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) or halorhodopsin (NpHR3.0)-followed by blue- or yellow-light stimulation to assess behavioral responses. In a chronic constriction injury (CCI) model, mice received EA and were evaluated for mechanical and thermal withdrawal thresholds. Western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) quantified ACC mGluR5 expression. Then CaMKII-targeted adeno-associated viruses expressing chemogenetic receptors, such as hM3Dq or hM4Di, were injected into the ACC. Two weeks later, CCI was induced, and mice received either EA or intraperitoneal clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) while pain behaviors were monitored. Finally, proteomic profiling of ACC tissue compared CCI and EA groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Optogenetic activation of ACC pyramidal neurons in naïve mice reduced both mechanical and thermal withdrawal thresholds, indicating a pronociceptive effect, whereas optogenetic inhibition increased thresholds. In CCI mice, EA significantly attenuated hypersensitivity and downregulated ACC mGluR5 protein levels by WB and IF. Chemogenetic inhibition of ACC pyramidal neurons similarly elevated thresholds in CCI mice, imitating EA. Notably, combining chemogenetic inhibition with EA produced no additional improvement, suggesting convergence on a common ACC mGluR5-dependent pathway.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>EA relieves neuropathic pain in mice, at least in part, by suppressing ACC pyramidal neuron activity via inhibition of mGluR5 signaling.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e9427819"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13170097/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147932026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brain-Wave Music Enhances Inhibitory Control Performance by Modulating Oscillations in the Motor Cortex and Frontoparietal Network.","authors":"Yan Li, Xinjian Su, Shenxin Hu, Liju Wang, Haoyu Bian, Chenxi Qiu, Haohan Yang, Hua Yang, Dezhong Yao, Jing Lu","doi":"10.1155/np/9433158","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/9433158","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inhibitory control modulation represents an important goal in neuromodulation research, with increasing attention to natural approaches such as music. However, personalizing music-based interventions remains challenging. Brain-wave music (BWM) provides personalized auditory stimulation by matching the oscillatory activity of brain waves. In this study, we investigated whether BWM-synthesized from an individual's own neural oscillations-could effectively enhance inhibitory control. A total of 72 healthy participants participated in the inhibitory control function regulation experiment, with four types of musical stimuli used in the music intervention. The Go/Nogo task and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were administered before and after the music intervention to assess changes in inhibitory control function. We showed that a brief exposure to such personalized music enhanced participants' performance on an inhibitory control task. In contrast, other forms of music intervention showed no significant effect. The intervention modulated theta oscillations in frontal and parietal brain regions, and these neural changes persisted beyond the stimulation period. Time-resolved tracking revealed that frontal attentional control regions guided the entrainment of motor-related areas. Furthermore, the alignment between the music and the individual's intrinsic neural patterns correlated with behavioral improvement. These outcomes support the potential of BWM as a personalized auditory tool for cognitive enhancement in applied and clinical settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e9433158"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13617389/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149070065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ginsenoside Rg1 Improves PTSD-Like Sleep Disturbances in Male Mice: Involvement of NLRP3-Related Inflammatory and Apoptotic Pathways.","authors":"Chen Yang, Xinya Wang, Baobao Li, Shaojie Yang, Zhengrong Zhang, Jingji Wang, Xuncui Wang, Guoqi Zhu","doi":"10.1155/np/9450146","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/9450146","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sleep disturbances (SD) are not merely symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also amplify and perpetuate all other PTSD phenotypes. Ginsenoside Rg1 is extensively applied in managing neuropsychiatric diseases. Nevertheless, its impact on PTSD-like SD and mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, the PTSD model in mice was produced using single-prolonged stress (SPS) and the improvement effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on PTSD-like behavior in mice, especially the sleep-wake phase was detected. The potential targets and signaling pathways of ginsenoside Rg1 as an intervention for treatment of PTSD with sleep disturbances (PTSD-SD) were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. Thereafter, in vivo experiments were further used to verify the results. Our data showed that 14 days after SPS, the sleep architecture of mice was significantly disturbed, while ginsenoside Rg1 could treat PTSD-like SD in SPS mice. The results of bioinformatics analysis suggested that NLRP-related pathways and apoptosis may be the key factors for ginsenoside Rg1 to treat PTSD-like sleep disturbances. Meanwhile, animal experiments also showed that the NLRP3 inflammasome, oxidative stress and apoptosis-related markers were abnormally expressed in the hippocampus of SPS mice, but the administration of ginsenoside Rg1 could counteract the dysregulated expression of the above proteins in SPS mice. Finally, the results of docking revealed that ginsenoside Rg1 had favorable binding affinity with verified targets including NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, GFAP, HO-1, and cleaved caspase-3. Collectively, ginsenoside Rg1 is effective to prevent PTSD-like SD, likely by regulating systemic comprehensive responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e9450146"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13273226/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148265396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronic Low Back Pain Duration Alters Brain Network Connectivity in Pain, Emotion, and Cognitive Processing.","authors":"Zhen-Zhen Ma, Hui Jin, Hao-Xiang He, Xu-Yun Hua, Mou-Xiong Zheng, Yun-Ting Xiang, Ji-Ming Tao, Jian-Guang Xu, Min Fang","doi":"10.1155/np/1847178","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/1847178","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the differences in brain network connectivity between short-term and long-term chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study included 25 CLBP patients who underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (18F-FDG-PET/MR) imaging between January 2017 and December 2019. This imaging modality, which integrates functional and metabolic data, was used to assess both neural activity and metabolic alterations associated with CLBP. The connectivity between 14 large-scale brain networks (including pain processing, emotional regulation, and cognitive control networks) was analyzed, with pairwise correlations calculated for each participant. Significant differences between short-term and long-term CLBP patients were assessed using permutation testing with false discovery rate (FDR) correction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Metabolic connectivity analysis revealed significant differences between short-term and long-term CLBP patients, particularly in the connectivity between the left executive control network (LECN) and visual networks, salience and posterior salience networks (SN/pSN), and posterior salience and ventral default mode network (vDMN) (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Additionally, a positive correlation was found between disease duration and connectivity in the salience, posterior salience, and vDMN networks, with longer disease duration associated with stronger connectivity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates that chronicity in CLBP is associated with altered brain network connectivity, particularly in networks related to emotional processing and pain perception. These findings highlight the neuroplastic changes that may occur with prolonged pain, providing insights into the underlying mechanisms of CLBP and potential targets for therapeutic intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e1847178"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148605665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional-Structural Plasticity Associated With the Duration of Sports Participation in Lower Limb Amputees: A Multimodal Neuroimaging Study.","authors":"Nobuaki Mizuguchi, Tomoya Nakanishi, Shohei Tsuchimoto, Kimitaka Nakazawa","doi":"10.1155/np/8819722","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/8819722","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Structural and functional brain reorganization can occur after long-term physical activity and lower limb amputation (LLA). A previous study suggested that activation of the primary motor cortex (M1) ipsilateral to the amputated leg during rectus femoris contraction is associated with the amount of sports participation in individuals with LLA. However, the structural basis of ipsilateral M1 activation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ipsilateral M1 activation is associated with white matter microstructure in descending motor pathways. We hypothesized that ipsilateral M1 activation would be related to microstructural properties of the corticoreticular tract (CRT) rather than the corticospinal tract (CST). Twenty-three individuals with LLA who had participated in sports for varying durations underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging. During fMRI, percent signal change (PSC) during rectus femoris contraction in the amputated leg was quantified. White matter microstructure was assessed using fixel-based analysis (FBA). Ipsilateral M1 PSC during contraction of the amputated leg was positively correlated with fiber cross-section (FC) in the CRT within the same hemisphere, whereas no significant correlation was observed for the CST. No significant correlations were found in control analyses using PSCs during contraction of the rectus femoris in the nonamputated leg, during motor imagery of ankle movements of the amputated leg, or in the visual cortex. These findings indicate a task- and hemisphere-specific functional-structural association between ipsilateral M1 activation and the CRT. Although FC in the CRT was not directly correlated with the amount of sports participation, it may constrain the extent of ipsilateral M1 functional reorganization associated with long-term sports involvement. Our results highlight a potential role of the CRT, in addition to the CST, in motor plasticity and rehabilitation in individuals with LLA.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e8819722"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13107950/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147777349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prefrontal Cortex 5-HT1A Receptor-Coupled Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channels Decreased Seizure Susceptibility in Rat Models With Autism Spectrum Disorder.","authors":"Zhuoqi Li, Yangyang Sun, Xianhao Huo, Xiaofan Ren, Na Ding, Xin Qian, Ao Li, Tao Sun","doi":"10.1155/np/4005949","DOIUrl":"10.1155/np/4005949","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dysregulation of serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1A), a G protein-coupled inhibitory receptor, is implicated in the pathogenesis of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is particularly vulnerable to the factors that affect neuronal and synaptic development, with abnormal PFC development leading to increased epilepsy susceptibility. This study used 8-OH-DPAT to activate PFC 5-HT1A to investigate its role in attenuating epileptic susceptibility in a valproic acid (VPA)-induced rat model of ASD and potential mechanisms involving Kir3 channel-mediated hyperpolarization. Rats were prenatally exposed to VPA to induce autism-like behaviors, and successful induction was verified through behavioral, morphological, and electrophysiological assessments. Neuronal loss, dendritic complexity, and spine density in the PFC were evaluated using Nissl and Golgi staining. Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) was used to induce chemical kindling for assessing seizure susceptibility in the ASD model. Spontaneous action potential (sAP) and miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) frequencies were electrophysiologically recorded. The selective 5-HT1A receptor (5-HT1AR) agonist 8-OH-DPAT was used to investigate its anticonvulsant effects. ASD rats exhibited significant neuronal loss, reduced dendritic complexity, and lower dendritic spine density in the PFC. The PTZ-treated ASD group showed reduced seizure onset latency, prolonged stage IV seizure duration, and higher seizure incidence, indicating increased susceptibility to epilepsy. Untreated rats displayed reduced sAP and mEPSC frequencies in PFC pyramidal neurons, suggesting E/I imbalance. However, PTZ treatment increased sAP and mEPSC frequencies, reflecting enhanced neuronal excitability. Treatment with 8-OH-DPAT significantly delayed seizure onset, shortened seizure duration, and reduced seizure incidence. Furthermore, 8-OH-DPAT decreased sAP and mEPSC frequencies. These effects were attenuated after applying tertiapin-Q (TQ), underscoring the role of inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir3) channels in mediating 8-OH-DPAT-induced anticonvulsant effects. In conclusion, PFC 5-HT1AR activity alleviated epileptic activity through Kir3 channel-mediated hyperpolarization. These findings highlight 5-HT1ARs and Kir3 channels as promising therapeutic targets for epilepsy associated with ASD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":"2026 1","pages":"e4005949"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13140190/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147840790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}