scholarly journals Plasticity in Cervical Motor Circuits following Spinal Cord Injury and Rehabilitation

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 976
Author(s):  
John R. Walker ◽  
Megan Ryan Detloff
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Primary Afferent ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
The Impact

Neuroplasticity is a robust mechanism by which the central nervous system attempts to adapt to a structural or chemical disruption of functional connections between neurons. Mechanical damage from spinal cord injury potentiates via neuroinflammation and can cause aberrant changes in neural circuitry known as maladaptive plasticity. Together, these alterations greatly diminish function and quality of life. This review discusses contemporary efforts to harness neuroplasticity through rehabilitation and neuromodulation to restore function with a focus on motor recovery following cervical spinal cord injury. Background information on the general mechanisms of plasticity and long-term potentiation of the nervous system, most well studied in the learning and memory fields, will be reviewed. Spontaneous plasticity of the nervous system, both maladaptive and during natural recovery following spinal cord injury is outlined to provide a baseline from which rehabilitation builds. Previous research has focused on the impact of descending motor commands in driving spinal plasticity. However, this review focuses on the influence of physical therapy and primary afferent input and interneuron modulation in driving plasticity within the spinal cord. Finally, future directions into previously untargeted primary afferent populations are presented.

scholarly journals Bladder and Bowel Management in Dogs With Spinal Cord Injury

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Granger ◽  
Natasha J. Olby ◽  
Yvette S. Nout-Lomas ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Intervertebral Disc Herniation ◽  
Companion Dogs ◽  
Spinal Cord Segment ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
The Impact

Spinal cord injury in companion dogs can lead to urinary and fecal incontinence or retention, depending on the severity, and localization of the lesion along the canine nervous system. The bladder and gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by lesions of the autonomic system can be difficult to recognize, interpret and are easily overlooked. Nevertheless, it is crucial to maintain a high degree of awareness of the impact of micturition and defecation disturbances on the animal's condition, welfare and on the owner. The management of these disabilities is all the more challenging that the autonomic nervous system physiology is a complex topic. In this review, we propose to briefly remind the reader the physiology of micturition and defecation in dogs. We then present the bladder and gastrointestinal clinical signs associated with sacral lesions (i.e., the L7-S3 spinal cord segments and nerves) and supra-sacral lesions (i.e., cranial to the L7 spinal cord segment), largely in the context of intervertebral disc herniation. We summarize what is known about the natural recovery of urinary and fecal continence in dogs after spinal cord injury. In particular we review the incidence of urinary tract infection after injury. We finally explore the past and recent literature describing management of urinary and fecal dysfunction in the acute and chronic phase of spinal cord injury. This comprises medical therapies but importantly a number of surgical options, some known for decades such as sacral nerve stimulation, that might spark some interest in the field of spinal cord injury in companion dogs.

The Impact of Facet Dislocation on Clinical Outcomes After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Spine ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jefferson R. Wilson ◽  
Alexander Vaccaro ◽  
James S. Harrop ◽  
Bizhan Aarabi ◽  
Christopher Shaffrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Facet Dislocation ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The Impact of Riluzole on Neurobehavioral Outcomes in Preclinical Models of Traumatic and Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Results From a Systematic Review of the Literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-229
Author(s):  
Lindsay A. Tetreault ◽  
Mary P. Zhu ◽  
Jefferson R. Wilson ◽  
Spyridon K. Karadimas ◽  
Michael G. Fehlings
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Ischemia ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Tail Flick ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Neurobehavioral Outcomes ◽  
The Impact

Study Design: Systematic review. Objective: To evaluate the impact of riluzole on neurobehavioral outcomes in preclinical models of nontraumatic and traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: An extensive search of the literature was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, and Medline in Process. Studies were included if they evaluated the impact of riluzole on neurobehavioral outcomes in preclinical models of nontraumatic and traumatic SCI. Extensive data were extracted from relevant studies, including sample characteristics, injury model, outcomes assessed, timing of evaluation, and main results. The SYRCLE checklist was used to assess various sources of bias. Results: The search yielded a total of 3180 unique citations. A total of 16 studies were deemed relevant and were summarized in this review. Sample sizes ranged from 14 to 90, and injury models included traumatic SCI (n = 9), degenerative cervical myelopathy (n = 2), and spinal cord-ischemia (n = 5). The most commonly assessed outcome measures were BBB (Basso, Beattie, Besnahan) locomotor score and von Frey filament testing. In general, rats treated with riluzole exhibited significantly higher BBB locomotor scores than controls. Furthermore, riluzole significantly increased withdrawal thresholds to innocuous stimuli and tail flick latency following application of radiant heat stimuli. Finally, rats treated with riluzole achieved superior results on many components of gait assessment. Conclusion: In preclinical models of traumatic and nontraumatic SCI, riluzole significantly improves locomotor scores, gait function, and neuropathic pain. This review provides the background information necessary to interpret the results of clinical trials on the impact of riluzole in traumatic and nontraumatic SCI.

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