How brain-to-spine nerve cells may help restore precise hand and arm movement after spinal cord injury
Official title: The Role of Corticospinal Neurons in the Recovery of Dexterous Forelimb Function After Spinal Cord Injury
Funded at Winifred Masterson Burke Med Res Inst · NIH-11309165 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores whether targeted rehabilitation can guide damaged brain-to-spine nerve cells to rewire and help people with spinal cord injuries regain fine hand and forearm movement.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Winifred Masterson Burke Med Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (White Plains, United States) |
| Project start | May 5, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $519,166 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS136711-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11309165 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with spinal cord injury that has impaired hand or forearm dexterity and who might later consider enrolling in rehab-focused clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
People whose injuries do not affect corticospinal pathways or who have unrelated neurological conditions are unlikely to benefit from this specific line of work.
What this research studies
The team will study how spinal cord injury changes motor maps in the brain and how specific rehabilitation drives structural remodeling of corticospinal neurons. Using advanced imaging and circuit-level experiments, researchers will track injured neurons and how they become part of functional motor networks. The goal is to identify the types of training that best promote recovery of skilled forelimb use. Findings are intended to point toward rehab strategies or therapies that could be tested in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could inform new rehabilitation approaches that improve recovery of fine hand and arm function after spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies show that targeted rehabilitation can reshape motor cortex maps and improve skilled forelimb use, but translating those findings into effective human therapies remains limited.
Where this research is happening
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Winifred Masterson Burke Med Res Inst
White Plains, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hollis, Edmund R — Winifred Masterson Burke Med Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Hollis, Edmund R
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.