Cortical reorganisation in the primary sensorimotor cortex following hand loss

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Cortical reorganisation in the primary sensorimotor cortex following hand loss

Kikkert, S; Root, V; Makin, TR; (2019) Cortical reorganisation in the primary sensorimotor cortex following hand loss. In: The Oxford Handbook of Cortical Plasticity. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

Limb loss provides a key model for studying brain reorganisation as it combines two main drivers of brain plasticity - sensory input loss and altered behaviour. Here we explore how the highly structured and consistent hand representation in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) changes following hand loss. We review classical findings demonstrating that following amputation, the neighbouring body part representations ‘invade’ the deprived hand area. We review potential perceptual consequences of such reorganisation, both maladaptive (e.g. phantom limb pain) and adaptive (e.g. compensatory strategies). We highlight recent evidence demonstrating that the functional organisation in the deprived cortex is preserved even decades after amputation, consistent with the view that S1 reorganisation reflects plasticity occurring at the brainstem level. We finally highlight alternative models of deprivation-driven S1 plasticity (hand transplantation, temporary deafferentation, congenital handlessness and neuroprostheses), providing further insights into the scope and functional consequences of S1 reorganisation.

Type:	Book chapter
Title:	Cortical reorganisation in the primary sensorimotor cortex following hand loss
Open access status:	An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language:	English
Additional information:	This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification:	UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
URI:	https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10065573