Movement Recovery Lab Published in Developmental Neuroscience

Previous research from the Movement Recovery Lab revealed that children with hemiplegia had significant sensory system deficits that correlated with impaired hand use. While the previous study in patients showed a correlation, a causative effect of sensory system injury on hand function had yet to be demonstrated.

Now, a new study published in Developmental Neuroscience by the lab shows that the sensory system plays a role in movement after brain injury. The results are published in Developmental Neuroscience this month. In this study, the lab aimed to investigate the specific contribution of the sensory system on movement by using a preclinical animal model to specifically disrupt the sensory system. They tested three different models of sensory system lesions (a hemorrhagic lesion, a thrombotic lesion and an electrolytic lesion) and found that the most specific for the thalamocortical sensory tract was the electrolytic lesion. Sensory tract disruption was associated with decreased motor function in the preclinical model, suggesting that the sensory system contributes to movement after early brain injury. Future studies will aim to target the sensory circuit with neuromodulation to aid in movement recovery in our patients with pediatric hemiplegia.