Optogenetic Approaches to Target Specific Neural Circuits in Post-stroke Recovery.

ABSTRACT: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA, yet treatment options are very limited. Functional recovery can occur after stroke and is attributed, in part, to rewiring of neural connections in areas adjacent to or remotely connected to the infarct. A better understanding of neural circuit rewiring is thus an important step toward developing future therapeutic strategies for stroke recovery. Because stroke disrupts functional connections in peri-infarct and remotely connected regions, it is important to investigate brain-wide network dynamics during post-stroke recovery. Optogenetics is a revolutionary neuroscience tool that uses bioengineered light-sensitive proteins to selectively activate or inhibit specific cell types and neural circuits within milliseconds, allowing gr

SUBMITTER: Cheng MY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4824024 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature