Chronic musculoskeletal impairment is associated with alterations in brain regions responsible for the production and perception of movement

Abstract

Key points Massive irreparable rotator cuff tear was used as a model to study the impact of chronic pain and motor impairment on the motor systems of the human brain using magnetic resonance imaging. Patients show markers of lower grey/white matter integrity and lower functional connectivity compared with control participants in regions responsible for movement and the perception of visual movement and body shape. An independent cohort of patients showed relative deficits in the perception of visual motion and hand laterality compared with an age‐matched control group. These data support the hypothesis that the structure and function of the motor control system differs in patients who have experienced chronic motor impairment. This work also raises a new hypothesis, supported by neuroimaging and behaviour, that a loss of motor function could also be associated with off‐target effects, namely a reduced ability to perceive motion and body form. Abstract Changes in the way we move can induce changes in the brain, yet we know little of such plasticity in relation to musculoskeletal diseases. Here we use massive irreparable rotator cuff tear as a model to study the impact of chronic motor impairment and pain on the human brain. Cuff tear destabilises the shoulder, impairing upper‐limb function in overhead and load‐bearing tasks. We used neuroimaging and behavioural testing to investigate how brain structure and function differed in cuff tear patients and controls (imaging: 21 patients, age 76.3 ± 7.68; 18 controls, age 74.9 ± 6.59; behaviour: 13 patients, age 75.5 ± 10.2; 11 controls, age 73.4 ± 5.01). We observed lower grey matter density and cortical thickness in cuff tear patients in the postcentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, temporal‐parietal junction and the pulvinar – areas implicated in somatosensation, reach/grasp and body form perception. In patients we also observed lower functional connectivity between the motor network and the middle temporal visual cortex (MT), a region involved in visual motion perception. Lower white matter integrity was observed in patients in the inferior fronto‐occipital/longitudinal fasciculi. We investigated the cognitive domains associated with the brain regions identified. Patients exhibited relative impairment in visual body judgements and the perception of biological/global motion. These data support our initial hypothesis that cuff tear is associated with differences in the brain's motor control regions in comparison with unaffected individuals. Moreover, our combination of neuroimaging and behavioural data raises a new hypothesis that chronic motor impairment is associated with an altered perception of visual motion and body form.

Not Only in Sensorimotor Network: Local and Distant Cerebral Inherent Activity of Chronic Ankle Instability—A Resting-State fMRI Study

“…As a previous study reported, the ACC might modulate the supplementary motor area during performing unilateral motor tasks (Cordani et al, 2020). The middle temporal gyrus is a region responsible for processing visual signals like distance recognition and action perception (Conboy et al, 2021;Kang et al, 2021). It is known that the appropriate neuromuscular control depends on the apropos integration of the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular system (Peterka, 2002;Terada et al, 2020).…”

“…A recent study revealed a low correlation between motor network and middle temporal cortex in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal impairment , which was consistent with our results. It might result from the long-term disuse of the affected limb (Conboy et al, 2021). In addition, the IPL is a part of the "pain matrix" responsible for pain processing, including discriminating and sensing pain and directing attention to deleterious stimulation and high sensory integration (Nakata et al, 2008;Silvestro et al, 2021;Tang et al, 2021).…”

Emerging Optical In‐Memory Computing Sensor Synapses Based on Low‐Dimensional Nanomaterials for Neuromorphic Networks

“…Evidence has suggested that humans receive the most external information through the visual perception system. [28][29][30] The investigation of optogenetics of biological neuroscience also promoted the integration of light and synaptic devices, which resulted in optical synapses. [8][9][10]31] Compared with IMC synaptic devices that only rely on electrical control, optical synapses could realize the interconversion between optical and electrical signals, which was positively influenced by the integration of the optical neuron network system.…”

How Does the Central Nervous System for Posture and Locomotion Cope With Damage-Induced Neural Asymmetry?

“…It is known that any loss in symmetry in either the neural or biomechanical arrangement would generate discrepancies between the two systems. Amputation or immobilization of a limb, for instance, will cause strong reorganization in various parts of the neural system ( Bramati et al, 2019 ; Makin and Flor, 2020 ; Conboy et al, 2021 ; Raffin, 2021 ), while an accidental or pathological neural asymmetry will trigger plasticity in both the neural and biomechanical (e.g., muscle; Gorgey et al, 2019 ) systems. In the following, we will only review studies regarding neural plasticity and behavioral adaptation in response to damage-induced central asymmetry.…”