03907nas a2200361   4500008004100000022001400041245007800055210006900133260001300202300001400215490000800229520287700237653001203114653001303126653002503139653001003164653002603174653001303200653001303213653000903226653001803235653002403253653000903277653002503286653001603311100001303327700001303340700001303353700002103366700002203387700002403409856011203433       2024                        eng d  a1469-779300aMotor learning changes the axon initial segment of the spinal motoneuron.0 aMotor learning changes the axon initial segment of the spinal mo  c2024 May  a2107-21260 v6023 a<p>We are studying the mechanisms of H-reflex operant conditioning, a simple form of learning. Modelling studies in the literature and our previous data suggested that changes in the axon initial segment (AIS) might contribute. To explore this, we used blinded quantitative histological and immunohistochemical methods to study in adult rats the impact of H-reflex conditioning on the AIS of the spinal motoneuron that produces the reflex. Successful, but not unsuccessful, H-reflex up-conditioning was associated with greater AIS length and distance from soma; greater length correlated with greater H-reflex increase. Modelling studies in the literature suggest that these increases may increase motoneuron excitability, supporting the hypothesis that they may contribute to H-reflex increase. Up-conditioning did not affect AIS ankyrin G (AnkG) immunoreactivity (IR), p-p38 protein kinase IR, or GABAergic terminals. Successful, but not unsuccessful, H-reflex down-conditioning was associated with more GABAergic terminals on the AIS, weaker AnkG-IR, and stronger p-p38-IR. More GABAergic terminals and weaker AnkG-IR correlated with greater H-reflex decrease. These changes might potentially contribute to the positive shift in motoneuron firing threshold underlying H-reflex decrease; they are consistent with modelling suggesting that sodium channel change may be responsible. H-reflex down-conditioning did not affect AIS dimensions. This evidence that AIS plasticity is associated with and might contribute to H-reflex conditioning adds to evidence that motor learning involves both spinal and brain plasticity, and both neuronal and synaptic plasticity. AIS properties of spinal motoneurons are likely to reflect the combined influence of all the motor skills that share these motoneurons. KEY POINTS: Neuronal action potentials normally begin in the axon initial segment (AIS). AIS plasticity affects neuronal excitability in development and disease. Whether it does so in learning is unknown. Operant conditioning of a spinal reflex, a simple learning model, changes the rat spinal motoneuron AIS. Successful, but not unsuccessful, H-reflex up-conditioning is associated with greater AIS length and distance from soma. Successful, but not unsuccessful, down-conditioning is associated with more AIS GABAergic terminals, less ankyrin G, and more p-p38 protein kinase. The associations between AIS plasticity and successful H-reflex conditioning are consistent with those between AIS plasticity and functional changes in development and disease, and with those predicted by modelling studies in the literature. Motor learning changes neurons and synapses in spinal cord and brain. Because spinal motoneurons are the final common pathway for behaviour, their AIS properties probably reflect the combined impact of all the behaviours that use these motoneurons.</p>10aAnimals10aAnkyrins10aAxon Initial Segment10aAxons10aConditioning, Operant10aH-Reflex10aLearning10aMale10aMotor Neurons10aNeuronal Plasticity10aRats10aRats, Sprague-Dawley10aSpinal Cord1 aWang, Yu1 aChen, Yi1 aChen, Lu1 aHerron, Bruce, J1 aChen, Xiang, Yang1 aWolpaw, Jonathan, R  uhttps://neurotechcenter.org/publications/2024/motor-learning-changes-axon-initial-segment-spinal-motoneuron03126nas a2200313   4500008004100000022001400041245013900055210006900194260001500263520206900278653002002347653002602367653002102393653002202414653001302436653001102449653002702460653002502487100001702512700001702529700001902546700002402565700002302589700002102612700001402633700002402647700002202671856011902693       2022                        eng d  a1940-087X00aThe Evoked Potential Operant Conditioning System (EPOCS): A Research Tool and an Emerging Therapy for Chronic Neuromuscular Disorders.0 aEvoked Potential Operant Conditioning System EPOCS A Research To  c2022 08 253 a<p>The Evoked Potential Operant Conditioning System (EPOCS) is a software tool that implements protocols for operantly conditioning stimulus-triggered muscle responses in people with neuromuscular disorders, which in turn can improve sensorimotor function when applied appropriately. EPOCS monitors the state of specific target muscles-e.g., from surface electromyography (EMG) while standing, or from gait cycle measurements while walking on a treadmill-and automatically triggers calibrated stimulation when pre-defined conditions are met. It provides two forms of feedback that enable a person to learn to modulate the targeted pathway's excitability. First, it continuously monitors ongoing EMG activity in the target muscle, guiding the person to produce a consistent level of activity suitable for conditioning. Second, it provides immediate feedback of the response size following each stimulation and indicates whether it has reached the target value. To illustrate its use, this article describes a protocol through which a person can learn to decrease the size of the Hoffmann reflex-the electrically-elicited analog of the spinal stretch reflex-in the soleus muscle. Down-conditioning this pathway's excitability can improve walking in people with spastic gait due to incomplete spinal cord injury. The article demonstrates how to set up the equipment; how to place stimulating and recording electrodes; and how to use the free software to optimize electrode placement, measure the recruitment curve of direct motor and reflex responses, measure the response without operant conditioning, condition the reflex, and analyze the resulting data. It illustrates how the reflex changes over multiple sessions and how walking improves. It also discusses how the system can be applied to other kinds of evoked responses and to other kinds of stimulation, e.g., motor evoked potentials to transcranial magnetic stimulation; how it can address various clinical problems; and how it can support research studies of sensorimotor function in health and disease.</p>10aChronic Disease10aConditioning, Operant10aElectromyography10aEvoked Potentials10aH-Reflex10aHumans10aNeuromuscular Diseases10aSpinal Cord Injuries1 aHill, Jeremy1 aGupta, Disha1 aEftekhar, Amir1 aBrangaccio, Jodi, A1 aNorton, James, J S1 aMcLeod, Michelle1 aFake, Tim1 aWolpaw, Jonathan, R1 aThompson, Aiko, K  uhttps://neurotechcenter.org/publications/2022/evoked-potential-operant-conditioning-system-epocs-research-tool-and02566nas a2200325   4500008004100000022001400041245013800055210006900193260001200262300001100274490000800285520150800293653002601801653002601827653001601853653001301869653001101882653003101893100002001924700002301944700002001967700002001987700001802007700002302025700001902048700001902067700002402086700001902110856011102129       2020                        eng d  a1873-423500aBreathable, large-area epidermal electronic systems for recording electromyographic activity during operant conditioning of H-reflex.0 aBreathable largearea epidermal electronic systems for recording   c10/2020  a1124040 v1653 a<p>Operant conditioning of Hoffmann's reflex (H-reflex) is a non-invasive and targeted therapeutic intervention for patients with movement disorders following spinal cord injury. The reflex-conditioning protocol uses electromyography (EMG) to measure reflexes from specific muscles elicited using transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Despite recent advances in wearable electronics, existing EMG systems that measure muscle activity for operant conditioning of spinal reflexes still use rigid metal electrodes with conductive gels and aggressive adhesives, while requiring precise positioning to ensure reliability of data across experimental sessions. Here, we present the first large-area epidermal electronic system (L-EES) and demonstrate its use in every step of the reflex-conditioning protocol. The L-EES is a stretchable and breathable composite of nanomembrane electrodes (16 electrodes in a four by four array), elastomer, and fabric. The nanomembrane electrode array enables EMG recording from a large surface area on the skin and the breathable elastomer with fabric is biocompatible and comfortable for patients. We show that L-EES can record direct muscle responses (M-waves) and H-reflexes, both of which are comparable to those recorded using conventional EMG recording systems. In addition, L-EES may improve the reflex-conditioning protocol; it has potential to automatically optimize EMG electrode positioning, which may reduce setup time and error across experimental sessions.</p>10aBiosensing Techniques10aConditioning, Operant10aElectronics10aH-Reflex10aHumans10aReproducibility of Results1 aKwon, Young-Tae1 aNorton, James, J S1 aCutrone, Andrew1 aLim, Hyo-Ryoung1 aKwon, Shinjae1 aChoi, Jeongmoon, J1 aKim, Hee, Seok1 aJang, Young, C1 aWolpaw, Jonathan, R1 aYeo, Woon-Hong  uhttps://neurotechcenter.org/publications/2020/breathable-large-area-epidermal-electronic-systems-recording