Can cortical reorganisation support adaptive behaviour?

It is well established that the sensorimotor cortex can reorganise throughout life. In the adult human brain, reorganisation has been suggested to both support and hinder rehabilitation, and thus is an important mechanism to characterise. Previous human reorganisation research is largely based on net changes in activity levels (cortical remapping), and thereby provides an incomplete estimate of reorganisation. Contrary to textbook and clinical understanding of sensorimotor reorganisation, I hypothesise that, once organised sensorimotor maps have formed, opportunities for reorganisation in the adult brain will be limited, or even blocked, by pre-existing organisational constraints. To test this, I propose to implement advanced neuroimaging approaches and brain stimulation protocols in individuals with congenital or acquired limb loss, to interrogate the information content underlying cortical remapping and its relationship with rehabilitation. In addition, I will track longitudinal brain and behavioural changes from the early stages of reorganisation in handless children and in adults before and after arm amputation. Finally, I will examine the contributions of afferent versus efferent inputs in driving reorganisation versus maintaining persistent representation. By crystallising the representational and behavioural consequences of brain remapping across development, my research will identify opportunities and barriers for guiding rehabilitation and assistive technology interfaces.