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Cerebral and clinical effects of short-term hand immobilisation.

Weibull, Andreas LU ; Flondell, Magnus LU orcid ; Rosén, Birgitta LU and Björkman, Anders LU (2011) In European Journal of Neuroscience 33. p.699-704
Abstract
In this work, functional changes in the sensorimotor cortex following unilateral hand immobilisation were investigated in 11 healthy volunteers. Sensory and motor function of both hands was also assessed. Cortical activation was monitored with functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. All examinations were performed prior to and directly after 72 h of immobilisation of the dominant hand and wrist. Following unilateral immobilisation, cortical activation increased substantially during tactile stimulation of the non-immobilised hand. This was particularly evident in the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex. Additionally, a redistribution of hemispheric dominance towards zero lateralisation was seen. A bilateral cortical activation increase... (More)
In this work, functional changes in the sensorimotor cortex following unilateral hand immobilisation were investigated in 11 healthy volunteers. Sensory and motor function of both hands was also assessed. Cortical activation was monitored with functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. All examinations were performed prior to and directly after 72 h of immobilisation of the dominant hand and wrist. Following unilateral immobilisation, cortical activation increased substantially during tactile stimulation of the non-immobilised hand. This was particularly evident in the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex. Additionally, a redistribution of hemispheric dominance towards zero lateralisation was seen. A bilateral cortical activation increase was also seen during performance of a finger-tapping task by the non-immobilised hand, although this increase was less prominent than during tactile stimulation. In contrast, performance of the finger-tapping task with the immobilised hand resulted in an activation decrease, predominantly in the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex. This site was anatomically close to the regional activation increase of the non-immobilised hand. These functional changes were associated with reduced grip strength, dexterity and tactile discrimination of the immobilised hand, and simultaneously improved tactile discrimination of the non-immobilised hand. This suggests that brain adaptation following hand immobilisation includes inter-hemispheric dynamics. In summary, the improved sensory function of the non-immobilised hand following unilateral immobilisation is associated with cortical expansion, predominantly contralateral to the immobilised hand, and a redistribution of hemispheric dominance. Both cortical and clinical effects of immobilisation were identified after 72 h, suggesting rapid inter-hemispheric plasticity using existing neural substrates. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
European Journal of Neuroscience
volume
33
pages
699 - 704
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000287312200013
  • pmid:21235643
  • scopus:79951512671
  • pmid:21235643
ISSN
1460-9568
DOI
10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07551.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ad9aa975-db4f-48ac-bd1a-692b90cb4647 (old id 1777478)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21235643?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 07:03:09
date last changed
2022-05-09 00:05:52
@article{ad9aa975-db4f-48ac-bd1a-692b90cb4647,
  abstract     = {{In this work, functional changes in the sensorimotor cortex following unilateral hand immobilisation were investigated in 11 healthy volunteers. Sensory and motor function of both hands was also assessed. Cortical activation was monitored with functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. All examinations were performed prior to and directly after 72 h of immobilisation of the dominant hand and wrist. Following unilateral immobilisation, cortical activation increased substantially during tactile stimulation of the non-immobilised hand. This was particularly evident in the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex. Additionally, a redistribution of hemispheric dominance towards zero lateralisation was seen. A bilateral cortical activation increase was also seen during performance of a finger-tapping task by the non-immobilised hand, although this increase was less prominent than during tactile stimulation. In contrast, performance of the finger-tapping task with the immobilised hand resulted in an activation decrease, predominantly in the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex. This site was anatomically close to the regional activation increase of the non-immobilised hand. These functional changes were associated with reduced grip strength, dexterity and tactile discrimination of the immobilised hand, and simultaneously improved tactile discrimination of the non-immobilised hand. This suggests that brain adaptation following hand immobilisation includes inter-hemispheric dynamics. In summary, the improved sensory function of the non-immobilised hand following unilateral immobilisation is associated with cortical expansion, predominantly contralateral to the immobilised hand, and a redistribution of hemispheric dominance. Both cortical and clinical effects of immobilisation were identified after 72 h, suggesting rapid inter-hemispheric plasticity using existing neural substrates.}},
  author       = {{Weibull, Andreas and Flondell, Magnus and Rosén, Birgitta and Björkman, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1460-9568}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{699--704}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Neuroscience}},
  title        = {{Cerebral and clinical effects of short-term hand immobilisation.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07551.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07551.x}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}