scholarly journals Detection of locomotion deficit in a post-traumatic syringomyelia rat model using automated gait analysis technique

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0252559
Author(s):  
Dipak D. Pukale ◽  
Mahmoud Farrag ◽  
Nic D. Leipzig
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Gait Analysis ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Dispersion Parameters ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Contact Width ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Step Contact

Syringomyelia (SM) is a spinal cord disorder in which a cyst (syrinx) filled with fluid forms in the spinal cord post-injury/disease, in patients syrinx symptoms include loss of pain and temperature sensation or locomotion deficit. Currently, there are no small animal models and connected tools to help study the functional impacts of SM. The objective of this study was to determine the detectability of subtle locomotion deficits due to syrinx formation/expansion in post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTSM) rat model using the recently reported method of Gait Analysis Instrumentation, and Technology Optimized for Rodents (GAITOR) with Automated Gait Analysis Through Hues and Areas (AGATHA) technique. First videos of the rats were collected while walking in an arena (using GAITOR) followed by extracting meaningful locomotion information from collected videos using AGATHA protocol. PTSM injured rats demonstrated detectable locomotion deficits in terms of duty factor imbalance, paw placement accuracy, step contact width, stride length, and phase dispersion parameters compared to uninjured rats due to SM. We concluded that this technique could detect mild and subtle locomotion deficits associated with PTSM injury, which also in future work could be used further to monitor locomotion responses after different treatment strategies for SM.

scholarly journals Detection of Locomotion Deficit in a Post-Traumatic Syringomyelia Rat Model Using Automated Gait Analysis Technique

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipak D. Pukale ◽  
Mahmoud Farrag ◽  
Nic D. Leipzig
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Gait Analysis ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Dispersion Parameters ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Contact Width ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Step Contact

Syringomyelia (SM) is a spinal cord disorder in which a cyst (syrinx) filled with fluid forms in the spinal cord post-injury/disease, in patients syrinx symptoms include loss of pain and temperature sensitivity or locomotion deficit. Currently, there are no small animal models and connected tools to help study the functional impacts of SM. The objective of this study was to determine the detectability of subtle locomotion deficits due to syrinx formation/expansion in post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTSM) rat model using the recently reported method of gait analysis instrumentation, and technology optimized for rodents (GAITOR) with automated gait analysis through hues and areas (AGATHA) technique. First videos of the rats were collected while walking in an arena (using GAITOR) followed by extracting meaningful locomotion information from collected videos (using AGATHA software). PTSM injured rats demonstrated detectable locomotion deficits in terms of duty factor imbalance, paw placement accuracy, step contact width, stride length, and phase dispersion parameters compared to uninjured rats due to SM. We concluded that this technique could detect mild and subtle locomotion deficits associated with PTSM injury, which also in future work could be used further to monitor locomotion responses after different treatment strategies for SM.

scholarly journals Abnormalities in spinal cord ultrastructure in a rat model of post-traumatic syringomyelia

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Berliner ◽  
Sarah Hemley ◽  
Elmira Najafi ◽  
Lynne Bilston ◽  
Marcus Stoodley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Post Traumatic

scholarly journals Neurophysiological and Spinal Cord Perfusion Changes at Dynamic Neck Positions in a Compressive Spinal Cord Injury Rat Model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengran Yu ◽  
Xing Cheng ◽  
Jiacheng Chen ◽  
Sixiong Lin ◽  
Hao Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Dynamic Compression ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Cervical Cord ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Doppler Flowmetry ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Behavioural Tests

Abstract Background: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a degenerative condition of the spine that caused by static and dynamic compression of the spinal cord. However, the pathophysiological changes at dynamic neck positions remain poor. This study investigated the interplay between neurophysiological and haemodynamic responses at dynamic neck positions in a chronic compressive spinal cord injury (CCSCI) rat model. Methods: Behavioural tests including Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores and an inclined plane test were used to evaluate the motor function recovery. Combined examination of dynamic motor and somatosensory evoked potentials (DMEPs and DSSEPs, respectively) was performed regularly to evaluate the dynamic motor and sensory conduction of the cervical cord. At 4 weeks post-injury (wpi), dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dynamic laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) were used to demonstrate the interstructure and spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) at the compression site at dynamic neck positions. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to assess the cords' pathological changes.Results: Behavioural tests and combined DMEPs and DSSEPs examination showed that spinal cord neurological function and dynamic neural conduction deteriorated gradually within a 4-week compression period. The DMEPs were mainly deteriorated upon flexion, while DSSEPs were upon all neck positions after the compression. At 4 wpi, dynamic MRI showed increased T2-weighted image (T2WI) signal intensities. Also, dynamic LDF demonstrated decreased SCBF at the spinal cord compression site. Both of them altered especially upon cervical flexion. The dynamic change in SCBF was significantly correlated with the change in DMEP amplitude upon flexion. Conclusions: This exploratory study revealed that changes in axonal conduction in the motor and somatosensory tracts of the spinal cord were significantly related to chronic compression time and neck position. Furthermore, spinal cord ischaemia may be intimately related to motor conduction dysfunction upon flexion in CCSCI models. These results indicated the potential for therapies targeting dynamic spinal cord perfusion to prevent progression and functional loss in CSM.

The 3D characteristics of post-traumatic syringomyelia in a rat model: a propagation-based synchrotron radiation microtomography study

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1218-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shenghui Liao ◽  
Shuangfei Ni ◽  
Yong Cao ◽  
Xianzhen Yin ◽  
Tianding Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Synchrotron Radiation ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
3D Visualization ◽  
Spinal Cord Tissue ◽  
3D Morphology ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Cystic Cavity ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Synchrotron Radiation Microtomography

Many published literature sources have described the histopathological characteristics of post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS). However, three-dimensional (3D) visualization studies of PTS have been limited due to the lack of reliable 3D imaging techniques. In this study, the imaging efficiency of propagation-based synchrotron radiation microtomography (PB-SRµCT) was determined to detect the 3D morphology of the cavity and surrounding microvasculature network in a rat model of PTS. The rat model of PTS was established using the infinite horizon impactor to produce spinal cord injury (SCI), followed by a subarachnoid injection of kaolin to produce arachnoiditis. PB-SRµCT imaging and histological examination, as well as fluorescence staining, were conducted on the animals at the tenth week after SCI. The 3D morphology of the cystic cavity was vividly visualized using PB-SRµCT imaging. The quantitative parameters analyzed by PB-SRµCT, including the lesion and spared spinal cord tissue area, the minimum and maximum diameters in the cystic cavity, and cavity volume, were largely consistent with the results of the histological assessment. Moreover, the 3D morphology of the cavity and surrounding angioarchitecture could be simultaneously detected on the PB-SRµCT images. This study demonstrated that high-resolution PB-SRµCT could be used for the 3D visualization of trauma-induced spinal cord cavities and provides valuable quantitative data for cavity characterization. PB-SRµCT could be used as a reliable imaging technique and offers a novel platform for tracking cavity formation and morphological changes in an experimental animal model of PTS.

scholarly journals A Biomimetic, SoC-Based Neural Stimulator for Novel Arbitrary-Waveform Stimulation Protocols

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislav Culaclii ◽  
Po-Min Wang ◽  
Giuliano Taccola ◽  
William Yang ◽  
Brett Bailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Control Logic ◽  
Neural Implants ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Waveform Data ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
On Chip ◽  
Arbitrary Waveform

Novel neural stimulation protocols mimicking biological signals and patterns have demonstrated significant advantages as compared to traditional protocols based on uniform periodic square pulses. At the same time, the treatments for neural disorders which employ such protocols require the stimulator to be integrated into miniaturized wearable devices or implantable neural prostheses. Unfortunately, most miniaturized stimulator designs show none or very limited ability to deliver biomimetic protocols due to the architecture of their control logic, which generates the waveform. Most such designs are integrated into a single System-on-Chip (SoC) for the size reduction and the option to implement them as neural implants. But their on-chip stimulation controllers are fixed and limited in memory and computing power, preventing them from accommodating the amplitude and timing variances, and the waveform data parameters necessary to output biomimetic stimulation. To that end, a new stimulator architecture is proposed, which distributes the control logic over three component tiers – software, microcontroller firmware and digital circuits of the SoC, which is compatible with existing and future biomimetic protocols and with integration into implantable neural prosthetics. A portable prototype with the proposed architecture is designed and demonstrated in a bench-top test with various known biomimetic output waveforms. The prototype is also tested in vivo to deliver a complex, continuous biomimetic stimulation to a rat model of a spinal-cord injury. By delivering this unique biomimetic stimulation, the device is shown to successfully reestablish the connectivity of the spinal cord post-injury and thus restore motor outputs in the rat model.

scholarly journals A New and Simple Method for Spinal Cord Injury Induction in Mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Zeraatpisheh ◽  
◽  
Esmaeil Mirzaei ◽  
Mohammad Nami ◽  
Hamed Alipour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Cell Injury ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Macrophage Infiltration ◽  
Cavity Formation ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Cord Injury

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disease with poor clinical outcomes. Animal models provide great opportunities to expand our horizons in identifying SCI pathophysiological mechanisms and subsequently introducing effective treatment strategies. The present study precisely introduces a new murine contusion model. Methods: A simple, economical and reproducible novel instrument was designed which consists of various sections, including a body part, an immobilization piece and a bar-shaped weight. The injury was inflicted to the spinal cord using an eight-gram weight for 5, 10 or 15 minutes after laminectomy at the T9 level in male C57BL/6 mice. Motor function, cavity formation, cell injury and macrophage infiltration were evaluated 28 days' post injury. Results: The newly designed instrument minimized adverse spinal movement during injury induction. Moreover, no additional devices, such as a stereotaxic apparatus, was required to stabilize the animals during surgical procedure. Locomotor activity was deteriorated after injury. Furthermore, tissue damage and cell injury were exacerbated by increasing the duration of weight exertion. In addition, macrophage infiltration around the injured tissue was observed 28 days’ post injury. Conclusion: This novel apparatus could induce a controllable SCI with a clear cavity formation in mice. No accessory elements are needed, besides the main equipment, and it can be used in future SCI studies.

Motor Recovery after Chronic Spinal Cord Transection in Rats: A Proof-of-Concept Study Evaluating a Combined Strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Ibarra ◽  
Erika Mendieta-Arbesú ◽  
Paola Suarez-Meade ◽  
Elisa García-Vences ◽  
Susana Martiñón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Motor Recovery ◽  
Neural Regeneration ◽  
Histological Evaluation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Concept Study

Background: The chronic phase of Spinal Cord (SC) injury is characterized by the presence of a hostile microenvironment that causes low activity and a progressive decline in neurological function; this phase is non-compatible with regeneration. Several treatment strategies have been investigated in chronic SC injury with no satisfactory results. OBJECTIVE- In this proof-of-concept study, we designed a combination therapy (Comb Tx) consisting of surgical glial scar removal plus scar inhibition, accompanied with implantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), and immunization with neural-derived peptides (INDP). Methods: This study was divided into three subsets, all in which Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to a complete SC transection. Sixty days after injury, animals were randomly allocated into two groups for therapeutic intervention: control group and animals receiving the Comb-Tx. Sixty-three days after treatment we carried out experiments analyzing motor recovery, presence of somatosensory evoked potentials, neural regeneration-related genes, and histological evaluation of serotoninergic fibers. Results: Comb-Tx induced a significant locomotor and electrophysiological recovery. An increase in the expression of regeneration-associated genes and the percentage of 5-HT+ fibers was noted at the caudal stump of the SC of animals receiving the Comb-Tx. There was a significant correlation of locomotor recovery with positive electrophysiological activity, expression of GAP43, and percentage of 5-HT+ fibers. Conclusion: Comb-Tx promotes motor and electrophysiological recovery in the chronic phase of SC injury subsequent to a complete transection. Likewise, it is capable of inducing the permissive microenvironment to promote axonal regeneration.

scholarly journals Physiological parameters of mental health predict the emergence of post-traumatic stress symptoms in physicians treating COVID-19 patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Dolev ◽  
S. Zubedat ◽  
Z. Brand ◽  
B. Bloch ◽  
E. Mader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic

AbstractLack of established knowledge and treatment strategies, and change in work environment, may altogether critically affect the mental health and functioning of physicians treating COVID-19 patients. Thus, we examined whether treating COVID-19 patients affect the physicians’ mental health differently compared with physicians treating non-COVID-19 patients. In this cohort study, an association was blindly computed between physiologically measured anxiety and attention vigilance (collected from 1 May 2014 to 31 May 31 2016) and self-reports of anxiety, mental health aspects, and sleep quality (collected from 20 April to 30 June 2020, and analyzed from 1 July to 1 September 2020), of 91 physicians treating COVID-19 or non-COVID-19 patients. As a priori hypothesized, physicians treating COVID-19 patients showed a relative elevation in both physiological measures of anxiety (95% CI: 2317.69–2453.44 versus 1982.32–2068.46; P < 0.001) and attention vigilance (95% CI: 29.85–34.97 versus 22.84–26.61; P < 0.001), compared with their colleagues treating non-COVID-19 patients. At least 3 months into the pandemic, physicians treating COVID-19 patients reported high anxiety and low quality of sleep. Machine learning showed clustering to the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 subgroups with a high correlation mainly between physiological and self-reported anxiety, and between physiologically measured anxiety and sleep duration. To conclude, the pattern of attention vigilance, heightened anxiety, and reduced sleep quality findings point the need for mental intervention aimed at those physicians susceptible to develop post-traumatic stress symptoms, owing to the consequences of fighting at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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