Development of protocols to assess neuroplasticity events taking place in the brain motor networks

皮质脊髓神经元参与肌肉活动，是运动产生的重要贡献者。它们包含在大脑的运动区内，这些运动区在大脑皮层水平上也高度相互联系。虽然初级运动皮质(M1)的作用已经被研究了一个多世纪，但次级运动区直到最近才被研究，因此，它们在运动产生中的作用还不太清楚。这在一定程度上是因为很难精确测量大脑的相互作用。*更好地了解这些相互作用特别重要，因为脑组织的再生在成人大脑中进行。因此，在衰老过程中或在存在影响大脑的病理时，运动功能的维持或恢复被认为是特定大脑网络中元素之间相互作用重组的结果。因此，开发工具使我们能够定量识别大脑区域内部和之间的相互作用和变化，并评估它们与个体运动表现的联系是至关重要的。神经成像技术的最新进展为研究不同条件下大脑网络中发生的细微变化提供了手段。在这项研究计划中，我建议使用脑磁图(MEG)、磁共振成像(MRI)和脑电(EEG)等技术来研究脑运动网络组织，特别是次级运动区所起的作用。这项研究计划的主要目标是制定协议，使我能够定量描述大脑运动回路中发生的相互作用。特别是，我将评估次级运动区在运动产生中的确切作用，并量化这些相互作用在衰老或使用干预措施(如心血管运动或皮质刺激)期间的变化。*最终，我的研究计划将有助于识别运动性能的稳健和敏感的生物标记物，这些标记物最终可能指导健康或病理性衰老期间的个性化治疗策略。改善机动性能的长期目标将加强加拿大在保持老年人口活跃和最大限度地提高他们的福祉方面的努力。

Corticospinal neurons are involved in muscle activity and are important contributors to movement production. They are contained within motor areas of the brain, which are also highly interconnected with each other at the cortical level. Whereas the role of the primary motor cortex (M1) has been studied for more than a century, the secondary motor areas have only recently been investigated; consequently, their roles in the production of movement are less well understood. This is partially because precise measure of brain interactions is difficult to achieve.******A better understanding of these interactions is particularly important since limited regeneration of brain tissue takes place in the adult brain. Consequently, during aging or in the presence of a pathology affecting the brain, the maintenance or recovery of motor functions is thought to be a consequence of the reorganization of interactions between elements within specific brain networks. Therefore, it is of vital importance to develop tools that will allow us to quantitatively identify interactions and changes within and between brain regions, and to assess their link with an individual's motor performance.******Recent advances in neuroimaging techniques have provided the means to investigate subtle changes occurring in brain networks under different conditions. In this research program, I propose using techniques such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electroencephalography (EEG) to study brain motor network organization, with a special emphasis on the roles played by the secondary motor areas. The main objective of this research program is to develop protocols that will allow me to quantitatively describe the interactions occurring within brain motor circuits. In particular, I will assess the precise role of the secondary motor areas in movement production and quantify the changes of these interactions during aging or the use of an intervention such as cardiovascular exercise or cortical stimulation. ******Ultimately, this my research program will contribute to the identification of robust and sensitive biomarkers of motor performance, which could ultimately guide personalized treatment strategies during healthy or pathological aging. The long-term goal of improving the maintenance of motor performance will strengthen Canada efforts in keeping its elderly population active and maximizing their well-being.