Ephedra sinica inhibits complement activation and improves the motor functions after spinal cord injury in rats

Evidence from preclinical and clinical research suggest that neuromodulation technologies can facilitate the sublesional spinal networks, isolated from supraspinal commands after spinal cord injury (SCI), by reestablishing the levels of excitability and enabling descending motor signals via residual connections. Herein, we evaluate available evidence that sublesional and supralesional spinal circuits could form a translesional spinal network after SCI. We further discuss evidence of translesional network reorganization after SCI in the presence of sensory inputs during motor training. In this review, we evaluate potential mechanisms that underlie translesional circuitry reorganization during neuromodulation and rehabilitation in order to enable motor functions after SCI. We discuss the potential of neuromodulation technologies to engage various components that comprise the translesional network, their functional recovery after SCI, and the implications of the concept of translesional network in development of future neuromodulation, rehabilitation, and neuroprosthetics technologies.

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Potential benefits and limitations of robotic exoskeleton usage in patients with spinal cord injury: a review

Journal of restorative medicine and rehabilitation ◽

10.38025/2078-1962-2020-96-2-68-78 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 96 (2) ◽

pp. 68-78 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N.N. Karjakin ◽

A.N. Belova ◽

V.O. Sushin ◽

G.E. Sheiko ◽

Y.A. Israeljan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Modern Medicine ◽

Activity Level ◽

Medical Rehabilitation ◽

Motor Functions ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

Meta Analyses

Restoration of motor functions in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) is a priority problem of this patient’s category medical rehabilitation. Despite the achievements of modern medicine, the level of movement restoration after SCI is often insignificant, many patients stayed confined to a wheelchair. Secondary complications (osteoporosis, obesity, cardiovascular, respiratory, urogenital, trophic and other disorders) used to develop in the injured people as a result of low physical activity, they aggravate the course of the main disease and complicate the process of medical rehabilitation. A hope for rehabilitation specialist and patients is associated with the appearance of robotic exoskeletons (RES), that might become an innovation means for improving the mobility of patients with SCI. The purpose of the review is to provide information on the possible benefits and disadvantages of the use of RES in the rehabilitation of patients with SCI. This article discusses the general characteristics of modern exoskeletons and the conditions of their use for patients with paralysis of the lower extremities. The article presents Information on the effectiveness and safety of the use of exoskeleton devices in neurorehabilitation, as well as data on limitations and problems associated with exoskeleton use in clinical practice. The results of meta-analyses and randomized studies on the potential benefits of the RES usage both in everyday life and in rehabilitation of patients with SCI are presented. The influence of walking training in the exoskeleton on the degree of motor functions improvement, overall physical activity level and body weight in patients with SCI is highlighted. The article draws attention to the unsolved problems and further perspectives of RES application in patients with SCI. It emphasizes the necessity for protocols standardization and large randomized comparative clinical trials organization with prolonged observational period of patients in order to determine exoskeletons usage potential.

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Brain–computer interface targeting non-motor functions after spinal cord injury: a case report

Spinal Cord ◽

10.1038/sc.2014.230 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 53 (S1) ◽

pp. S25-S26 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

D B Salisbury ◽

S Driver ◽

T D Parsons

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Case Report ◽

Brain Computer Interface ◽

Computer Interface ◽

Motor Functions ◽

Cord Injury

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Heparin-Binding Growth-Associated Molecule (Pleiotrophin) Affects Sensory Signaling and Selected Motor Functions in Mouse Model of Anatomically Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.738800 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Natalia Kulesskaya ◽

Dmitry Molotkov ◽

Sonny Sliepen ◽

Ekaterina Mugantseva ◽

Arturo Garcia Horsman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Neurite Outgrowth ◽

Somatosensory Cortex ◽

Intrathecal Injection ◽

Axon Growth ◽

Heparin Binding ◽

Motor Functions ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Sensory Signaling

Heparin-binding growth-associated molecule (pleiotrophin) is a neurite outgrowth-promoting secretory protein that lines developing fiber tracts in juvenile CNS (central nervous system). Previously, we have shown that heparin-binding growth-associated molecule (HB-GAM) reverses the CSPG (chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan) inhibition on neurite outgrowth in the culture medium of primary CNS neurons and enhances axon growth through the injured spinal cord in mice demonstrated by two-photon imaging. In this study, we have started studies on the possible role of HB-GAM in enhancing functional recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) using cervical lateral hemisection and hemicontusion mouse models. In vivo imaging of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals associated with functional activity in the somatosensory cortex was used to assess the sensory functions during vibrotactile hind paw stimulation. The signal displays an exaggerated response in animals with lateral hemisection that recovers to the level seen in the sham-operated mice by injection of HB-GAM to the trauma site. The effect of HB-GAM treatment on sensory-motor functions was assessed by performance in demanding behavioral tests requiring integration of afferent and efferent signaling with central coordination. Administration of HB-GAM either by direct injection into the trauma site or by intrathecal injection improves the climbing abilities in animals with cervical hemisection and in addition enhances the grip strength in animals with lateral hemicontusion without affecting the spontaneous locomotor activity. Recovery of sensory signaling in the sensorimotor cortex by HB-GAM to the level of sham-operated mice may contribute to the improvement of skilled locomotion requiring integration of spatiotemporal signals in the somatosensory cortex.

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Effects of estrogen on Survival and Neuronal Differentiation of adult human olfactory bulb neural stem Cells Transplanted into Spinal Cord Injured Rats

10.1101/571950 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

S Rezk ◽

A Althani ◽

A Abd-Elmaksoud ◽

M Kassab ◽

A Farag ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Stem Cells ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Olfactory Bulb ◽

Neural Stem Cells ◽

Motor Neurons ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Motor Functions ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Neuroprotective Therapy

AbstractIn the present study we developed an excitotoxic spinal cord injury (SCI) model using kainic acid (KA) to evaluate of the therapeutic potential of human olfactory bulb neural stem cells (h-OBNSCs) for spinal cord injury (SCI). In a previous study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of these cells for SCI; all transplanted animals showed successful engraftment. These cells differentiated predominantly as astrocytes, not motor neurons, so no improvement in motor functions was detected. In the current study we used estrogen as neuroprotective therapy before transplantation of OBNSCs to preserve some of endogenous neurons and enhance the differentiation of these cells towards neurons. The present work demonstrated that the h-GFP-OBNSCs were able to survive for more than eight weeks after sub-acute transplantation into injured spinal cord. Stereological quantification of OBNSCs showed approximately a 2.38-fold increase in the initial cell population transplanted. 40.91% of OBNSCs showed differentiation along the neuronal lineages, which was the predominant fate of these cells. 36.36% of the cells differentiated into mature astrocytes; meanwhile 22.73% of the cells differentiated into oligodendrocytes. Improvement in motor functions was also detected after cell transplantation.

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Lower-Limb Neuroprostheses

Advances in Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering - Emerging Theory and Practice in Neuroprosthetics ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6094-6.ch009 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 153-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Monzurul Alam ◽

Jufang He

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Stem Cells ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Lower Limb ◽

Clinical Tests ◽

Motor Functions ◽

Spinal Lesion ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Neuroprosthetic Devices

Regaining lower-limb functionality such as walking is one of the highest priorities among all the disabilities of paraplegics following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Though the ultimate recovery would be repairing or regenerating new axons across the spinal lesion (potentially by stem cells or other transplants and neurotropic factors), challenges to achieve this as well as recent technological advancements demand the development of new neuroprosthetic devices to restore such motor functions following the injuries. In this chapter, the authors discuss available therapies for the rehabilitation of SCI paraplegics and some new potential interventions that still require clinical tests. They also propose brain-machine-spinal cord interface as a future neuroprosthesis following motor complete SCI.

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