Functional signature of recovering cortex: Dissociation of local field potentials and spiking activity in somatosensory cortices of spinal cord injured monkeys

After disruption of dorsal column afferents at high cervical spinal levels in adult monkeys, somatosensory cortical neurons recover responsiveness to tactile stimulation of the hand; this reactivation correlates with a recovery of hand use. However, it is not known if all neuronal response properties recover, and whether different cortical areas recover in a similar manner. To address this, we recorded neuronal activity in cortical area 3b and S2 in adult squirrel monkeys weeks after unilateral lesion of the dorsal columns. We found that in response to vibrotactile stimulation, local field potentials remained robust at all frequency ranges. However, neuronal spiking activity failed to follow at high frequencies (≥ 15 Hz). We suggest that the failure to generate spiking activity at high stimulus frequency reflects a changed balance of inhibition and excitation in both area 3b and S2, and that this mismatch in spiking and local field potential is a signature of an early phase of recovering cortex (< two months).