Motor Skill Training Promotes Sensorimotor Recovery and Increases Microtubule-Associated Protein-2 (MAP-2) Immunoreactivity in the Motor Cortex after Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the Rat
Motor skill learning may induce behavioral and neurophysiological adaptations after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Learning a new motor skill is associated with dendritic reorganization and requires protein synthesis and expression of MAP-2. The purpose of this study was to evaluate motor performance and expression of MAP-2 in the motor cortex of rats submitted to intracerebral hemorrhage model (ICH) and skill task training (SK) or unskilled training (US) during 4 weeks. The Staircase test was used for behavioral evaluation, and relative optical densities and morphometrical analysis were used to estimate MAP-2 immunoreactivity and parameters of brain tissue in both motor cortices. Results show that skill task training performed with the impaired forelimb was able to increase MAP-2 immunoreactivity in the motor cortex either in sham or in ICH groups in both cortices: ipsilesional [F(5,35) = 14.25 ( )] and contralesional hemispheres [F(5,35) = 9.70 ( )]. ICH alone also increased MAP-2 immunoreactivity despite the absence of functional gains. Behavioral evaluation revealed that ICH-SK group performed better than ICH and ICH-US animals in the Staircase test. Data suggest that motor skill training induces plastic modifications in both motor cortices, either in physiological or pathological conditions and that skill motor training produces higher brain plasticity and positive functional outcomes than unskilled training after experimental intracerebral hemorrhage. 1. Introduction Stroke is an important cause of persistent disability in adults [1]. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts from 10 to 15% of all strokes, and this cerebral vascular disease is related to a low degree of neurorehabilitation [2]. Much of the knowledge about brain plasticity mechanisms and physical rehabilitation after stroke comes from brain ischemic strokes studies. It is not possible to assume that findings in ischemic rehabilitation will apply to ICH since there are many differences in pathophysiology, location, and extension of the injury [3]. Upper limb motor impairment is an important functional limitation associated with diminished health-related quality of life that can persist in the long term, even with rehabilitation treatment [4]. The study of experimental stroke in animal models has provided better understanding of pathological and recovery mechanisms [5]. Experimental rehabilitative therapies may influence synaptogenesis, neurogenesis, and neuron and glial responses in addition to functional recovery [6, 7]. Although positive effects of skilled training as a
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