Changes in cortical manifold structure following stroke and its relation to behavioral recovery in the male macaque
Joseph Y. Nashed, Daniel J. Gale, Jason P. Gallivan, Douglas J. Cook
Abstract
Stroke, a major cause of disability, disrupts brain function and motor skills. Previous research has mainly focused on reorganization of the motor system post-stroke, but the effects on other brain areas and their influence on recovery is poorly understood. Here, we use functional neuroimaging in a nonhuman primate model (23 male Cynomolgus Macaques), we explore how ischemic stroke affects whole-brain cortical architecture and its relation to spontaneous behavioral recovery. By projecting patterns of cortical functional connectivity onto a low-dimensional manifold space, we find that several regions in both sensorimotor cortex and higher-order transmodal cortex exhibit significant shifts in their manifold embedding from pre- to post-stroke. Furthermore, we observe that changes in default mode and limbic network regions, and not preserved sensorimotor cortical regions, are associated with animal behavioral recovery post-stroke. These results establish the whole-brain functional changes associated with stroke, and suggest an important role for higher-order transmodal cortex in post-stroke outcomes. Using advanced brain imaging in male macaques, the authors show that both motor and higher-order brain regions, such as those involved in emotion and cognition, show significant changes after stroke, which are linked to better recovery.