Anatomical Increased/Decreased Changes in the Brain Area Following Individuals with Chronic Traumatic Complete Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury

This study uses a brain imaging technique called voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to look at how the brains of people with long-term complete spinal cord injuries in the chest area change compared to healthy people. The researchers were looking for areas in the brain that might shrink or grow after this type of injury. The study found that some brain areas related to movement and sensation, especially those controlling the lower limbs, were smaller in people with spinal cord injuries. At the same time, areas related to the use of fingers and arms, as well as higher-level sensory areas, were larger. The findings suggest that after a spinal cord injury, the brain can change in response to changes in physical function, with some areas shrinking due to lack of use and others growing due to increased reliance on different body parts.

• 1
  Decreased gray matter volume was observed in brain areas associated with motor and somatosensory functions, including the right paracentral lobule (PCL), left dorsal premotor cortex, and left superior parietal lobule (SPL).
• 2
  Increased gray matter volume was noted in the primary sensorimotor area for fingers and arms, as well as in higher sensory areas.
• 3
  Compared with healthy controls, individuals with ThSCI had significantly decreased regional GMV in the right paracentral lobe (PCL), left dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), right superior temporal gyrus (STG), left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), left superior parietal lobe (SPL), left amygdala, right parahippocampus, and lower WMV in the right subcortical PCL.