Biology subjects

Damiani, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Damiani, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Pre-synaptic facilitation of corticospinal output improves dexterity and finemotor control after stroke

The corticospinal tract (CST) is a neural pathway that supports skilled use of the arm and hand. Lesions of corticospinal axons result in muscle weakness, deficits of gross motor function, and loss of proximal and distal dexterous control for which effective treatments are still lacking. Here we exploited excitatory connections from motor thalamus to primary motor cortex to potentiate surviving descending signals and restore volitional arm and hand control in three monkeys with corticospinal tract lesion, using deep brain stimulation. Stimulation targeted to thalamocortical projections facilitated upper-limb movements, enabling monkeys with arm and hand paralysis to perform unconstrained 3D reach and fine dexterous tasks. Stimulation improved strength, hand gross motor function, and digits control. Electrophysiology suggested that effects were mediated by and more effective when targeting fibers with monosynaptic connection to the corticospinal motoneurons. Stimulation was delivered in continuous with FDA-clinically approved parameters holding realistic promises of clinical translation.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

SpIC3D imaging: Spinal In-situ Contrast 3D imaging

High-definition visualization techniques are critical for understanding the neuroanatomy of the spinal cord, an essential structure for sensorimotor and autonomic functions, in both healthy and pathological conditions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a common method for visualizing neural structures in 3D. However, techniques for spinal cord MRI have historically achieved limited visualization of rootlets and nerves, especially at lower spinal levels, due to their highly complex and compact organization. Here we developed a spinal in-situ contrast 3D imaging (SpIC3D) method that allows visualization of spinal compartments in fixed animal and human specimens with ultra-high resolution at various spinal levels. Using SpIC3D, we achieved quantification of neuronal cell density in dorsal root ganglia, multi-segment identification of individual rootlets and roots, and volumetric reconstruction of multiple spinal structures for computational modeling. SpIC3D provides a basis for accelerated spinal pathology characterization and personalized spinal cord stimulation treatments.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

GABA Increases Sensory Transmission In Monkeys

Sensory input flow is central to voluntary movements. For almost a century, GABA was believed to modulate this flow by inhibiting sensory axons in the spinal cord to sculpt neural inputs into skilled motor output. Instead, here we show that GABA can also facilitate sensory transmission in monkeys and consequently increase spinal and cortical neural responses to sensory inputs challenging our understanding of generation and perception of movement.

neuroscience↗