The role of sensorimotor integration for motor control in the lesioned brain (C05)

• Subject Area: Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology ; Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 431549029

Project C05 investigates the neural mechanisms underlying recovery of motor control after stroke using brain stimulation and neuroimaging. In the first funding period, we aimed at furthering our understanding of key motor regions for recovery after stroke using the combined use of TMS-EEG to directly assess brain responsivity to targeted stimulation of primary and premotor areas. In the second funding period, we shift the focus from frontal-premotor to parietal-sensory areas to address how the somatosensory system and sensorimotor integration contribute to recovery of motor control after stroke. The innovative approach here is to use and integrate temporal high-resolution high-density TMS-EEG and ultrahigh-resolution laminar MRI at 7 Tesla to investigate the interaction of the somatosensory system with the core motor network in patients recovering from a stroke. In summary, project C05 examines differences in laminar activity and connectivity in the framework of stroke reorganization, which adds new vistas to the role of intracortical information processing in sensorimotor control.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1451: Key mechanisms of motor control in health and disease
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Christian Grefkes-Hermann; Dr. Caroline Tscherpel