Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile Improvement

Correlations between inherent, task-free low-frequency fluctuations in the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals of the brain provide a potent tool to delineate its functional architecture in terms of intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC). Still, it remains unclear how iFC is modulated...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stefanie Heba, Melanie Lenz, Tobias Kalisch, Oliver Höffken, Lauren M. Schweizer, Benjamin Glaubitz, Nicolaas A. J. Puts, Martin Tegenthoff, Hubert R. Dinse, Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/5270532
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849435432159281152
author Stefanie Heba
Melanie Lenz
Tobias Kalisch
Oliver Höffken
Lauren M. Schweizer
Benjamin Glaubitz
Nicolaas A. J. Puts
Martin Tegenthoff
Hubert R. Dinse
Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke
author_facet Stefanie Heba
Melanie Lenz
Tobias Kalisch
Oliver Höffken
Lauren M. Schweizer
Benjamin Glaubitz
Nicolaas A. J. Puts
Martin Tegenthoff
Hubert R. Dinse
Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke
author_sort Stefanie Heba
collection DOAJ
description Correlations between inherent, task-free low-frequency fluctuations in the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals of the brain provide a potent tool to delineate its functional architecture in terms of intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC). Still, it remains unclear how iFC is modulated during learning. We employed whole-brain resting-state magnetic resonance imaging prior to and after training-independent repetitive sensory stimulation (rSS), which is known to induce somatosensory cortical reorganization. We investigated which areas in the sensorimotor network are susceptible to neural plasticity (i.e., where changes in functional connectivity occurred) and where iFC might be indicative of enhanced tactile performance. We hypothesized iFC to increase in those brain regions primarily receiving the afferent tactile input. Strengthened intrinsic connectivity within the sensorimotor network after rSS was found not only in the postcentral gyrus contralateral to the stimulated hand, but also in associative brain regions, where iFC correlated positively with tactile performance or learning. We also observed that rSS led to attenuation of the network at higher cortical levels, which possibly promotes facilitation of tactile discrimination. We found that resting-state BOLD fluctuations are linked to behavioral performance and sensory learning, indicating that network fluctuations at rest are predictive of behavioral changes and neuroplasticity.
format Article
id doaj-art-e5b5af4818d940e1a78b6e4535510b11
institution Kabale University
issn 2090-5904
1687-5443
language English
publishDate 2017-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Neural Plasticity
spelling doaj-art-e5b5af4818d940e1a78b6e4535510b112025-08-20T03:26:17ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432017-01-01201710.1155/2017/52705325270532Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile ImprovementStefanie Heba0Melanie Lenz1Tobias Kalisch2Oliver Höffken3Lauren M. Schweizer4Benjamin Glaubitz5Nicolaas A. J. Puts6Martin Tegenthoff7Hubert R. Dinse8Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke9Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyRussell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 North Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD 21287-0006, USADepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, GermanyCorrelations between inherent, task-free low-frequency fluctuations in the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals of the brain provide a potent tool to delineate its functional architecture in terms of intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC). Still, it remains unclear how iFC is modulated during learning. We employed whole-brain resting-state magnetic resonance imaging prior to and after training-independent repetitive sensory stimulation (rSS), which is known to induce somatosensory cortical reorganization. We investigated which areas in the sensorimotor network are susceptible to neural plasticity (i.e., where changes in functional connectivity occurred) and where iFC might be indicative of enhanced tactile performance. We hypothesized iFC to increase in those brain regions primarily receiving the afferent tactile input. Strengthened intrinsic connectivity within the sensorimotor network after rSS was found not only in the postcentral gyrus contralateral to the stimulated hand, but also in associative brain regions, where iFC correlated positively with tactile performance or learning. We also observed that rSS led to attenuation of the network at higher cortical levels, which possibly promotes facilitation of tactile discrimination. We found that resting-state BOLD fluctuations are linked to behavioral performance and sensory learning, indicating that network fluctuations at rest are predictive of behavioral changes and neuroplasticity.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/5270532
spellingShingle Stefanie Heba
Melanie Lenz
Tobias Kalisch
Oliver Höffken
Lauren M. Schweizer
Benjamin Glaubitz
Nicolaas A. J. Puts
Martin Tegenthoff
Hubert R. Dinse
Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke
Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile Improvement
Neural Plasticity
title Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile Improvement
title_full Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile Improvement
title_fullStr Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile Improvement
title_full_unstemmed Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile Improvement
title_short Regionally Specific Regulation of Sensorimotor Network Connectivity Following Tactile Improvement
title_sort regionally specific regulation of sensorimotor network connectivity following tactile improvement
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/5270532
work_keys_str_mv AT stefanieheba regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT melanielenz regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT tobiaskalisch regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT oliverhoffken regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT laurenmschweizer regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT benjaminglaubitz regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT nicolaasajputs regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT martintegenthoff regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT hubertrdinse regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement
AT tobiasschmidtwilcke regionallyspecificregulationofsensorimotornetworkconnectivityfollowingtactileimprovement