Structural preservation of deafferented cortex induced by electrical stimulation of a sensory peripheral nerve

Any manipulation to natural sensory input has direct effects on the morphology and physiology of the Central Nervous System. In the particular case of amputations, sensory areas of the brain undergo degenerative processes with a marked reduction in neuronal activity and global disinhibition. This is probably due to a deregulation of the circuits devoted to the control of the cortical activity. These changes are detected in the organization of the representational maps, the metabolic labeling by 2-deoxyglucose or cytochrome oxidase, the density of afferent and efferent axonal connections and the reduced expression of inhibitory neurotransmitters. In the present study, performed in animals, we have evaluated the therapeutic potential of Brain Machine Interfaces in reversing or limiting the degenerative/deregulation processes of amputations. Applying electrical stimulation on amputated peripheral nerves, we have achieved to maintain in approximately normal values 1) the cortical activity and 2) the expression of GABA-associated molecules of the inhibitory interneurons of the primary somatosensory cortex.