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James W. Pennebaker, Chairman | SEA 4.212 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX 78712 | 512-471-1157 |
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Theresa A. Jones, Ph.D.
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VITAJones Lab HomepagePDFs of selected papers
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My laboratory studies plasticity of neural structure and synaptic connectivity in adult animals following brain damage and during learning. Damage to the adult brain results in degeneration and neurotoxicity in regions that are connected to the site of principal injury as well as an apparently adaptive neuronal plasticity and reconfiguration of synaptic connections. Our research on the effects of focal damage to the sensorimotor cortex in adult rats indicates that the neuronal response to brain damage is dependent upon post-injury behavioral changes, including compensatory behaviors that animals develop spontaneously and those induced using motor skill learning as rehabilitative training. This work supports that the degenerative effects of brain damage induce a fertile environment for neuronal growth and synaptogenesis, but that this must be capitalized upon by appropriate behavioral pressures in order to effectively shape the neuronal restructuring. That is, the "use it or lose it" idea as applied to neuronal connections may be especially applicable to the maintenance and growth of synapses in areas which are connected to the site of an injury. Additional research focuses on motor learning-induced plasticity of the cerebellum and motor cortex in intact animals and how this is altered after damage to the neocortex of one hemisphere. An ongoing component of this research is plasticity of glial-neuronal interactions. In addition to attempting to understand mechanisms underlying neuronal adaptation to brain damage, a goal of this work is to address the efficacy of using behavior as "therapy" to promote brain changes which are functionally adaptive.
PSY 308-Biopsychology
PSY 341K-Neural
Plasticity and Behavior
PSY 394P-Quantifying
Brain Structure
PSY 359H and 379H-Honors Research I & II
Allred, R. P. and Jones, T. A. (2008). Maladaptive effects of learning with the less-affected forelimb after focal cortical infarcts in rats. Experimental Neurology, 210: 172-181. pdf
Adkins, D. L., Hsu, J. E. and Jones, T. A. (2008). Motor cortical stimulation promotes synaptic plasticity and behavioral improvements after sensorimotor cortical infarcts in rats. Experimental Neurology, 212: 14-28. pdf
Maldonado, M. A., Allred, R. P., Felthauser, E. L. and Jones, T. A. (2008). Rehabilitative training, but not voluntary running, improves recovery of skilled reaching after unilateral ischemic lesions of the sensorimotor cortex in rats. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 22: 250-261. pdf
Allred, R. P., Adkins, D. L., Woodlee, M. T., Husbands, L. C., Maldonado, M. A., Kane, J. R., Schallert, T. and Jones, T. A. (2008). The Vermicelli Handling Test: a simple quantitative measure of dexterous forepaw function in rats. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 170: 229-244. pdf
Allred, R. P. and Jones, T. A. (2008). Experience--a double edged sword for restorative neural plasticity after brain damage. Future Neurology. 3: 189-198. pdf
Kleim, J. A. and Jones, T. A. (2008). Principles of experience-dependent neural plasticity: Implications for rehabilitation after brain damage. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 51: S225-S239. pdf
O'Bryant, A., Bernier, B. and Jones, T. A. (2007). Abnormalities in
skilled
reaching movements are improved by peripheral anesthetization of the
less-affected forelimb after sensorimotor cortical infarcts in
rats. Behavioural
Brain Research, 177: 298-307. pdf
Hsu,
J. E. and Jones, T. A.
(2006). Contralesional neural plasticity and functional changes in the
less-affected forelimb after large and small cortical infarcts in
rats. Experimental
Neurology, 201: 479-494. pdf
Adkins, D. L, Voorhies, A. C. and Jones, T. A. (2004)
Behavioral and neuroplastic effects of focal endothelin-1 induced
sensorimotor cortex lesions. Neuroscience, 128: 473-486. pdf
Adkins-Muir, D. L. and Jones, T. A. (2003). Cortical
electrical stimulation combined with rehabilitative training:
enhanced functional recovery and dendritic plasticity following focal
cortical ischemia in rats. Neurological
Research, 25, 780-787. pdf
Jones, T. A., Bury, S. D., Adkins D. L., Allred, R.P., Luke,
L. M. and Sakata, J. T. (2003). The importance of behavioral
manipulations and measures in rat models of brain damage and brain
repair. Institute for
Laboratory Animal Research Journal. 44, 144-152. html
Bury, S. D. and Jones, T. A. Unilateral sensorimotor cortex lesions in
adult rats facilitate motor skill learning with the “unaffected”
forelimb and training-induced dentritic structural plasticity in the
motor cortex. Journal
of Neuroscience, 22 (2002) 8597-8606. pdf
Chu, C. J. and Jones, T. A. Experience-dependent structural plasticity
in cortex heterotopic to focal sensorimotor cortical damage. Experimental Neurology, 166
(2000) 403-414. pdf
Jones, T. A., Chu, C. J., Grande, L. A. and Gregory, A. D. Motor skills
training enhances lesion-induced structural plasticity in the motor
cortex of adult rats. Journal
of Neuroscience, 19 (1999) 10153-10163. pdf
