Review
Neurosciences
Giuliano Taccola, Ronaldo M. Ichiyama, V. Reggie Edgerton, Parag Gad
Summary: This review discusses the physiological states of spinal networks, highlighting the stochastic modulation by changing ensembles of proprioceptive and supraspinal input. Spinal epidural interfaces offer a platform for studying spinal network dynamics post-injury. Low-frequency epidural pulses can evoke motor responses with oscillatory patterns. The neural variability among spinal networks is seen as a fundamental mechanism of network design rather than noise interfering with movement control.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Ali Khatibi, Shahabeddin Vahdat, Ovidiu Lungu, Jurgen Finsterbusch, Christian Buechel, Julien Cohen-Adad, Veronique Marchand-Pauvert, Julien Doyon
Summary: This study investigated the role of the spinal cord in human motor learning and found that there are changes in spinal cord activation and functional connectivity during the learning process. The subjects showed improved motor performance in the sequence task, which was associated with decreased co-contractions and increased reciprocal activations between wrist muscles. The early learning phase was characterized by activation in the C8 level, while a more rostral activation in the C6-C7 was found during the later learning phase. Increased spinal cord functional connectivity with brain networks, including the motor cortex, superior parietal lobule, and cerebellum, supported motor sequence learning at different stages.
Article
Neurosciences
Han Li, Ming Liu, Xin Yu, JianQun Zhu, Chongfeng Wang, Xinyi Chen, Chao Feng, Jiancai Leng, Yang Zhang, Fangzhou Xu
Summary: In this study, a brain-computer interface system based on EEG signal features was proposed, which can effectively recognize motor imagery tasks in spinal cord injury patients. The experimental results showed that the proposed method achieved high classification accuracy.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Chen Ran, Gabrielle N. A. Kamalani, Xiaoke Chen
Summary: Different types of tissue injury, such as inflammatory and neuropathic conditions, cause modality-specific alterations on temperature perception. The study shows that injury-induced sensitization to temperature stimuli is encoded by patterned neuronal activities in the CNS, with a push-pull mechanism in processing cold and heat inputs. Additionally, chemotherapy medication oxaliplatin can rapidly change spinal responses to cooling and heating stimuli.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ajay Pal, HongGeun Park, Aditya Ramamurthy, Ahmet S. Asan, Thelma Bethea, Meenu Johnkutty, Jason B. Carmel
Summary: In this study, the researchers developed a plasticity protocol in rats that aims to activate both sensory and motor connections in the spinal cord. They found that repeated application of this protocol in rats with spinal cord injury improved their forelimb dexterity and reduced hyperreflexia. This study shows the importance of targeting the sensory and motor systems in the spinal cord for promoting recovery after spinal cord injury.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Curtis A. Benson, Kai-Lan Olson, Siraj Patwa, Marike L. Reimer, Lakshmi Bangalore, Myriam Hill, Stephen G. Waxman, Andrew M. Tan
Summary: Research using viral intervention techniques in mice after spinal cord injury found that knocking out Rac1 protein can restore dendritic spine development and reduce H-reflex excitability, thereby reversing spasticity. This indicates a potential mechanistic relationship between abnormal motor neuron dendritic spines and spasticity induced by SCI.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Latoya L. Allen, Nicole L. Nichols, Zachary A. Asa, Anna T. Emery, Marissa C. Ciesla, Juliet V. Santiago, Ashley E. Holland, Gordon S. Mitchell, Elisa J. Gonzalez-Rothi
Summary: The study tested the hypothesis that C2 spinal hemisection (C2Hx) minimally impacts phrenic motor neuron (PMN) survival and found no evidence of PMN loss at 2- or 8-weeks post-C2Hx. This insight is crucial for studying strategies for inducing plasticity and/or regeneration within the phrenic motor system after high cervical injury.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Soshi Samejima, Richard Henderson, Jared Pradarelli, Sarah E. Mondello, Chet T. Moritz
Summary: Spinal cord injuries often result in permanent physical impairments despite being incomplete disruptions. However, remaining connections between the brain and spinal cord can induce neural plasticity to improve sensorimotor function, even years post-injury. This review provides an overview of evidence for motor recovery, plasticity, and interventions in spinal cord stimulation for motor control restoration. It discusses both open-loop and closed-loop stimulation approaches, as well as mechanisms of spinal cord neuromodulation for sensorimotor recovery, aiming to advance rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jonathan S. Calvert, Megan L. Gill, Margaux B. Linde, Daniel D. Veith, Andrew R. Thoreson, Cesar Lopez, Kendall H. Lee, Yury P. Gerasimenko, Victor R. Edgerton, Igor A. Lavrov, Kristin D. Zhao, Peter J. Grahn, Dimitry G. Sayenko
Summary: Transcutaneous and epidural spinal stimulation have shown promising results in restoring motor function in individuals with spinal cord injury, with differences observed in how different types of SCI patients respond to stimulation.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jaclyn R. Wecht, William M. Savage, Grace O. Famodimu, Gregory A. Mendez, Jonah M. Levine, Matthew T. Maher, Joseph P. Weir, Jill M. Wecht, Jason B. Carmel, Yu-Kuang Wu, Noam Y. Harel
Summary: The study found that subthreshold TSCS can facilitate hand muscle responses to motor cortex stimulation, especially when the TSCS arrives simultaneously or slightly after the cortical stimulation, indicating the potential for enhanced synaptic plasticity in circuits serving hand function.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Radha Kumari, Hannah Gibson, Mohammed Jarjees, Christopher Turner, Mariel Purcell, Aleksandra Vuckovic
Summary: The aim of this study is to explore whether cortical activation and its lateralization during motor imagery in subacute spinal cord injury are indicative of existing or upcoming central neuropathic pain. The results showed that the activation intensity and lateralization in pain-related areas during motor imagery might hold a predictive value for central neuropathic pain. This study increases understanding of the mechanisms underlying the transition from asymptomatic to symptomatic early central neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Carla. S. S. Sousa, Rui Lima, Jorge. R. R. Cibrao, Eduardo. D. D. Gomes, Luis S. Fernandes, Tiffany. S. S. Pinho, Deolinda Silva, Jonas Campos, Antonio J. Salgado, Nuno. A. A. Silva
Summary: The inability of axons to regenerate after spinal cord injury is a major challenge in neuroscience. A phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, Roflumilast, was evaluated in a rat model of thoracic contusion injury and found to promote functional recovery and neuroregeneration.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jian Zhao, Ailang Pang, Saige Yin, Meifeng Yang, Xuemei Zhang, Rong Zhang, Jingfei Liu, Yuanqi Gu, Shanshan Li, Yan Hu, Yue Zhang, Yingchun Ba, Buliang Meng, Xinwang Yang
Summary: OM-LV20 promotes structural and functional recovery of spinal cord injury by increasing neuronal survival, enhancing BDNF and TrkB expression, and regulating oxidative stress balance.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xinlian Zhao, Lulu Jin, Zhixin Zhu, Haohao Lu, Haifei Shi, Qi Zhong, Joaquim Miguel Oliveira, Rui L. Reis, Changyou Gao, Zhengwei Mao
Summary: A bifunctional microgel was designed for delivering GVIA to reduce excitotoxicity in spinal cord injury, showing excellent neuroprotective effects in vitro and promising therapeutic effects in vivo.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Qiong Zhang, Mingfu Liu, Haibin Nong, Yanan Zhang, Yiguang Bai, Pan Liu, Shaohui Zong, Gaofeng Zeng
Summary: TFHL has shown to improve motor function recovery and promote spinal cord tissue repair in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). It reduces apoptosis and improves the functional status of neurons. TFHL also improves cell morphology, microstructure, and axonal regeneration of damaged spinal motor neurons, and promotes the secretion of neurotrophic factors. Furthermore, TFHL promotes autophagy and related protein expression both in vivo and in vitro.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Petra Sandberg, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Idriz Zogaj, Lars Nyberg
Summary: This study developed a MoL training app and found that it attracted participants across different age groups, especially older adults. Proficiency level was influenced by practice amount and participant age, with self-rated health status being associated with proficiency level.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Emil Bojsen-Moller, Rui Wang, Jonna Nilsson, Emerald G. Heiland, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Lena V. Kallings, Maria Ekblom
Summary: This study investigated the effects of two workplace interventions on cognitive functions among office workers and examined the moderating effects of cardiorespiratory fitness, movement behaviors, age, and sex. The results showed no intervention effect on cognitive functions and no significant associations between changes in movement behaviors or fitness and changes in cognition. However, age, sex, and cardiorespiratory fitness level were found to moderate the relationships between movement behaviors and cognitive functions changes.
Article
Neurosciences
Andrew Strong, Helena Grip, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Jonas Selling, Charlotte K. Hager
Summary: This study used fMRI to identify brain regions associated with knee proprioception and compared the brain response between ACL reconstruction patients and asymptomatic controls. The results showed that the reproduction of knee angles activated somatosensory cortices, prefrontal cortex, and insula. There were no differences in brain response or JPS errors between the two groups, but significant correlations across groups suggested that greater errors were associated with greater ipsilateral response in the anterior cingulate, supramarginal gyrus, and insula.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kristine B. Walhovd, Lars Nyberg, Ulman Lindenberger, Inge K. Amlien, Oystein Sorensen, Yunpeng Wang, Athanasia M. Mowinckel, Rogier A. Kievit, Klaus P. Ebmeier, David Bartres-Faz, Simone Kuehn, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Paolo Ghisletta, Kathrine Skak Madsen, Willliam F. C. Baare, Eniko Zsoldos, Fredrik Magnussen, Didac Vidal-Pineiro, Brenda Penninx, Anders M. Fjell
Summary: This study revealed that higher general cognitive ability (GCA) is positively associated with cortical volume, area, and thickness, and this association is related to both brain reserve and maintenance mechanisms.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Lars Nyberg, Micael Andersson, Anders Lundquist, William F. C. Baare, David Bartres-Faz, Lars Bertram, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Andreas M. Brandmaier, Naiara Demnitz, Christian A. Drevon, Sandra Duezel, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Paolo Ghisletta, Richard Henson, Daria E. A. Jensen, Rogier A. Kievit, Ethan Knights, Simone Kuhn, Ulman Lindenberger, Anna Plachti, Sara Pudas, James M. Roe, Kathrine Skak Madsen, Cristina Sole-Padulles, Yasmine Sommerer, Sana Suri, Eniko Zsoldos, Anders M. Fjell, Kristine B. Walhovd
Summary: We found heterogeneity in regional-atrophy patterns through latent-profile analysis of 1,482 longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging observations. The results supported a 2-group solution reflecting differences in atrophy rates in cortical regions and hippocampus along with comparable caudate atrophy. Our findings suggest distinct mechanisms of atrophy in striatal versus hippocampal-cortical systems.
Article
Neurosciences
Emma Simonsson, Lars Jonasson Stiernman, Anders Lundquist, Erik Rosendahl, Mattias Hedlund, Nina Lindelof, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
Summary: This study could not confirm the suggested link between striatal D2/3R availability and subjective autonomous motivation to exercise among older adults. However, the exploratory findings propose that frontal brain regions may be involved in the intrinsic regulation of exercise-related behaviors.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Andrew Strong, Helena Grip, Ashokan Arumugam, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Jonas Selling, Charlotte K. Haeger
Summary: Studies indicate that brain response during proprioceptive tasks predominates in the right hemisphere. A right hemisphere lateralization for proprioception may help to explain findings that right-limb dominant individuals perform position matching tasks better with the non-dominant left side. Establishing brain response associated with proprioceptive acuity for the lower limbs in asymptomatic individuals could be useful for understanding the influence of neurological pathologies on proprioception and locomotion.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Bryn Farnsworth von Cederwald, Jarkko Johansson, Katrine Riklund, Nina Karalija, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
Summary: Age-related dopamine reductions have been suggested to contribute to maladaptive working memory function in older ages. Increasing physical activity can improve working memory through plasticity of the striatal dopamine system, but its efficacy may vary due to individual differences. This study found that physical activity intervention improved striatal dopamine D2-like receptor availability and working memory performance in individuals with no or mild white-matter lesions, but had no effect in individuals with moderate-to-severe lesions. The findings highlight the importance of considering cerebrovascular health in interventions targeting neurocognitive outcomes.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Naiara Demnitz, Anne T. Gates, Erik L. Mortensen, Ellen Garde, Cathrine L. Wimmelmann, Hartwig R. Siebner, Michael Kjaer, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
Summary: Understanding individual variability in response to physical activity is crucial for developing more effective and personalized interventions for healthy aging. This study used longitudinal data from a randomized-controlled trial to investigate individual differences in a 12-month muscle strengthening intervention for older adults. Results showed significant differences in baseline physical function, sex, and depressive symptoms between trajectory groups. Improvers and decliners also exhibited significant grey matter differences in specific brain regions.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Louise Stiernman, Manon Dubol, Erika Comasco, Inger Sundstrom-Poromaa, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Maja Johansson, Marie Bixo
Summary: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is associated with altered sensitivity to ALLO and ISO, neurosteroids that affect GABA(A) activity. ISO has been shown to alleviate PMDD symptoms. In this study, PMDD subjects exhibited increased brain activity during emotion processing in the late-luteal phase. The relationship between ISO/ALLO ratio and brain activity differed between PMDD subjects and controls in key emotion processing regions.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Naiara Demnitz, Oliver J. Hulme, Hartwig R. Siebner, Michael Kjaer, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Claire M. Gillan
Summary: Modifiable lifestyle factors are correlated with brain structure, but the associations differ between datasets. Personalized baseline characterization may help achieve targeted lifestyle interventions.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Anders M. Fjell, Oystein Sorensen, Yunpeng Wang, Inge K. Amlien, William F. C. Baare, David Bartres-Faz, Lars Bertram, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Andreas M. Brandmaier, Ilja Demuth, Christian A. Drevon, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Paolo Ghisletta, Rogier Kievit, Simone Kuehn, Kathrine Skak Madsen, Athanasia M. Mowinckel, Lars Nyberg, Claire E. Sexton, Cristina Sole-Padulles, Didac Vidal-Pineiro, Gerd Wagner, Leiv Otto Watne, Kristine B. Walhovd
Summary: Short sleep duration is not directly associated with brain health, and normal brains promote adequate sleep.
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mathias Ryberg, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Michael Kjaer, Naiara Demnitz
Summary: Physical activity has acute effects on brain metabolites, with increased concentrations of GABA and lactate, no significant changes in choline, and inconclusive results for glutamine/glutamate. The lack of consensus on 1H-MRS data processing and exercise protocols limits the conclusions.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Andreas Nelson, Hanna Malmberg Gavelin, Micael Andersson, Maria Josefsson, Therese Eskilsson, Lisbeth Slunga Jaervholm, Anna Stigsdotter Neely, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
Summary: This study found weak associations between subjective and objective cognitive measures in patients with stress-related exhaustion disorder. The study also showed that self-reported symptoms of cognitive functioning and burnout levels were largely unrelated to task performance and altered neural activity in frontal brain regions. Instead, an association was found between subjective cognitive complaints and increased neural activity in an occipitally situated cluster.
STRESS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Physiology
N. Demnitz, A. T. Gates, E. L. Mortensen, E. Garde, C. L. Wimmelmann, H. R. Siebner, M. Kjaer, C. -J. Boraxbekk
Article
Neurosciences
Wenzhu Wang, Zihan Li, Yitong Yan, Shuo Wu, Xinyu Yao, Chen Gao, Lanxiang Liu, Yan Yu
Summary: This study investigated the reparative mechanisms of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and found that LIPUS promotes hippocampal neurogenesis, enhances neural electrical activity and neural plasticity, ultimately restoring neuronal function and cognitive capabilities in TBI mice.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Wenmin Yi, Fei Chen, Minghao Yuan, Chuanling Wang, Shengyuan Wang, Jie Wen, Qian Zou, Yinshuang Pu, Zhiyou Cai
Summary: The study suggests that a high-fat diet may lead to tau hyperphosphorylation and synaptic dysfunction by inhibiting the SIRT1/AMPK pathway and disrupting autophagy flux, ultimately resulting in cognitive decline.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Kim M. Hemsley, Helen Beard, Glyn Chidlow, Teresa Mammone, Leanne K. Winner, Daniel Neumann, Barbara King, Marten F. Snel, Paul J. Trim, Robert J. Casson
Summary: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive method that can be used to rapidly and quantitatively examine the integrity of the neuroretina. It has been shown that OCT can be used to observe retinal thinning in patients with childhood dementia, and to assess the improvement of retinal structure after treatment. Furthermore, OCT can provide insights into other childhood dementias based on the correlation between retinal and brain degeneration in Sanfilippo syndrome.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Qianling Jiang, Xin Ma, Gaochen Zhu, Wen Si, Lingyu He, Guan Yang
Summary: This study investigated the effects of EAE induction on thymopoiesis and T cell development, revealing changes such as increased apoptosis, decreased proliferation, and a blockade in the transition from double-negative thymocytes to double-positive cells. It was also found that positive selection was disrupted in the thymus of EAE mice, along with an increased production of regulatory T cells.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Alice McDouall, Guido Wassink, Sumudu Ranasinghe, Kelly Q. Zhou, Rashika N. Karunasinghe, Justin M. Dean, Joanne O. Davidson
Summary: This study found that blocking connexin 43 hemichannels can attenuate brain injury and promote neurodevelopment in infants with mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, without causing hypothermia.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Hannah Sweetman, Mahmudur Rahman, Aditya Vedantam, Kajana Satkunendrarajah
Summary: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a neurological condition characterized by chronic compression of the cervical spinal cord, leading to impaired limb function. While respiratory dysfunction is not a common symptom of DCM, it can affect the ventilatory response to respiratory challenges. Surgical decompression improves sensorimotor function in DCM, but its impact on respiratory function is unclear. This study evaluates respiratory function and adaptive ventilation in a DCM model, showing that DCM impairs acute adaptive ventilatory ability and surgical decompression does not fully restore it.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Chengmei Sun, Muhammad Saif Ur Rahman, Budbazar Enkhjargal, Jianhua Peng, Keren Zhou, Zhiyi Xie, Lingyun Wu, Tongyu Zhang, Qiquan Zhu, Jiping Tang, Yujia Zeng, John H. Zhang, Shanshan Xu
Summary: This study found that Osteopontin (OPN) can attenuate inflammatory responses after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) by promoting an anti-inflammatory microglial state. This effect may be mediated through the integrin-FAK-STAT3 and NF-kappa B signaling pathways.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Yang Yang, Xuezhu Chen, Chuanyan Yang, Mei Liu, Qianying Huang, Likun Yang, Yuhai Wang, Hua Feng, Zhongyang Gao, Tunan Chen
Summary: The study explores the effects of specific chemogenetic stimulation of intact corticospinal tract on functional recovery after stroke in mice. The findings demonstrate that combining chemogenetic activation with rehabilitation training leads to significant motor functional recovery by promoting axon sprouting and rewiring new functional circuits.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2024)
