Enhanced function in nerve-injured hands after contralateral deafferentation

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 517 - 519
• Main Authors: Björkman, Anders, Rosén, Birgitta, Lundborg, Göran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 04-04-2005; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia - methods; Basic Medicine; Biological and medical sciences; Discrimination (Psychology) - drug effects; Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology; Functional Laterality - drug effects; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hand - innervation; Hand - physiology; Hand Injuries - etiology; Hand Injuries - therapy; Hand Strength - physiology; Humans; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; Middle Aged; Neurosciences; Neurovetenskaper; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - complications; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - therapy; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Sensory Deprivation - physiology; Sensory Thresholds - drug effects; Sensory Thresholds - physiology; Somesthesis and somesthetic pathways (proprioception, exteroception, nociception); interoception; electrolocation. Sensory receptors; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Human; Peripheral nerve; Tactile discrimination; Central nervous system; Nerve injury; Hand; Encephalon; Tactile sensitivity; Brain plasticity; Hand function; Discrimination; Perception of touch; Plasticity; Lesion; Deafferentation
• ISSN: 0959-4965; 1473-558X; 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200504040-00020

To explore whether contralateral deafferentation by tourniquet-induced anaesthesia can improve function in a nerve-injured hand, we investigated 14 patients with median or ulnar nerve injuries at wrist level. Deafferentation of the contralateral forearm and hand resulted in significantly improved tactile discrimination, threshold for perception of touch in the injured nerve area and in the area corresponding to the intact nerve in the injured hand, and significantly increased grip strength. Improvements lasted at least 15 min. The results show that hand function after peripheral nerve injury can be temporarily enhanced by manipulation of the process of brain plasticity. Our results may have practical applications in the rehabilitation of peripheral nerve-injured patients.