How the brain's hand area controls touch signals from the other hand
Area 3b hand cortex in primate: the targets and sources of extra-hand suppressive surrounds
['FUNDING_R01'] · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · NIH-11247907
Researchers are looking at how touch-sensing brain cells for one hand also quiet signals from the other hand to learn how touch processing changes after spinal cord injury.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11247907 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project records activity from neurons in the primate hand area of the brain to map their small excitatory centers and broader suppressive surrounds. Scientists will temporarily silence connected cortical areas and trace inputs from the thalamus to identify which circuits create different parts of the surround. They will also produce selective spinal cord lesions in animals to see how loss of hand sensation changes these center-surround relationships during recovery. The goal is to reveal how touch processing is impaired and how it can reorganize after sensory loss, informing therapies for people with spinal cord injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with partial or complete spinal cord injuries that cause loss of hand sensation would be the most relevant candidates for future therapies informed by this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions do not involve hand sensory loss (for example isolated motor disorders or unrelated peripheral neuropathies) are less likely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could inform new rehabilitation or therapeutic strategies to restore or improve hand touch after spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have performed: Previous primate recording and lesion studies have demonstrated cortical reorganization after sensory loss, but detailed layer-by-layer mapping of the 'extra-hand' suppressive surround is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY — Nashville, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KAAS, JON H — VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: KAAS, JON H
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 below.