Article
Neurosciences
Camila Marques Freria, Lori Graham, Ali Azimi, Paul Lu
Summary: We propose an updated model of moderately severe bilateral cervical level 6 contusive spinal cord injury (SCI) in the rat, which is more clinically relevant than previous models and allows animals to survive the lesion. This model closely mimics the most common cervical level of SCI in humans and provides a superior tool for assessing motor recovery interventions.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
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
Pediatrics
Suresh Gowda, Prathap Chandra, Deepa Mohan Sharma, Laxmi Kamath, V Mamatha
Summary: Perinatal spinal cord injury is a relatively uncommon but frequently misdiagnosed disorder. Improvements in obstetric care have decreased the incidence of birth-related spinal cord trauma, but the occurrence of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy remains high. The exact incidence of spinal cord trauma is difficult to determine due to the lack of routine examination in neonatal autopsies conducted in India.
INDIAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Benita Jin, Monzurul Alam, Alexa Tierno, Hui Zhong, Roland R. Roy, Yury Gerasimenko, Daniel C. Lu, V. Reggie Edgerton
Summary: Serotonergic agents, specifically buspirone and fluoxetine, have shown to improve forelimb motor function recovery after spinal cord injury in adult female rats. Buspirone treatment led to rapid improvement in reaching and grasping success rates, while fluoxetine treatment resulted in a more progressive improvement in forelimb performance over time. However, both treatments did not significantly improve quadrupedal locomotion.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Kun-Ze Lee
Summary: The study investigated the physiological and transcriptomic mechanisms of distinct diaphragm areas following mid-cervical spinal cord injury. The results showed that the injury had different impacts on the physiological responses and gene expression in different diaphragm areas. These findings have important clinical implications for future therapeutic strategies and the placement of diaphragmatic pacing electrodes.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Kun-Ze Lee, Li-Min Liou, Stephane Vinit
Summary: Cervical magnetic stimulation can be used to assess post-injury excitability of phrenic motor outputs, with shorter latency and increased amplitude observed in response to acute injury. Placing the stimulation more laterally at the left spinal cord in subchronic and chronic injury stages generally leads to larger motor-evoked potentials of the diaphragm.
JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sarah E. Mondello, Lisa Young, Viet Dang, Amanda E. Fischedick, Nicholas M. Tolley, Tian Wang, Madison A. Bravo, Dalton Lee, Belinda Tucker, Megan Knoernschild, Benjamin D. Pedigo, Philip J. Horner, Chet T. Moritz
Summary: This study aims to develop a mechanistic understanding of how to promote functional recovery following spinal cord injury. The use of optogenetic stimulation shows promising results in promoting recovery of skilled limb movements and axonal growth. This finding suggests that optogenetic stimulation could be a potential therapy for spinal cord injury.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ana M. Lucas-Osma, Emma K. A. Schmidt, Romana Vavrek, David J. Bennett, Karim Fouad, Keith K. Fenrich
Summary: This study compares the effects of cervical contusion and partial transection injury models on the recovery of skilled motor tasks in injured rats. The results show that cervical contusion damages key spinal tracts important for performing skilled motor tasks and produces more extensive grey matter and ventral white matter damage. Despite initial poor performance, rehabilitative training can promote significant recovery in rats with cervical contusion injuries.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shiva Hashemizadeh, Zeinab Gharaylou, Saereh Hosseindoost, Maryam Sardari, Ameneh Omidi, Hassan Hosseini Ravandi, Mahmoudreza Hadjighassem
Summary: This study found that early administration of bumetanide after spinal cord injury can promote recovery of locomotor function. The results showed that bumetanide can reduce the expression of NKCC1 gene and increase GAP protein levels, thereby having neuroprotective and regenerative effects.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Yiyan Zheng, Chrystine M. Gallegos, Haipeng Xue, Shenglan Li, Dong H. Kim, Hongxia Zhou, Xugang Xia, Ying Liu, Qilin Cao
Summary: Recovering locomotor function after spinal cord injury (SCI) is crucial. Stem cell therapy, particularly using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), holds promise as a reparative strategy. This study found that purified iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) were able to improve locomotor function in a rat model of cervical SCI.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fangliang Guo, Xiaolong Zheng, Ziyu He, Ruoying Zhang, Song Zhang, Minghuan Wang, Hong Chen, Wei Wang
Summary: The study found that long-term treatment with NMD helps to improve locomotion, pain-related behaviors, and spasticity-like symptoms in rats with SCI, but has less effect on open-field activity, hind limb grip strength, and bladder function. Additionally, NMD-treated rats showed greater tissue preservation, reduced lesion areas, and increased perilesional neuronal sparing, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for SCI treatment.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Chunyao Wang, Xiao Han, Xiaodong Ma, Wen Jiang, Jinchao Wang, Sisi Li, Hua Guo, Wei Tian, Huijun Chen
Summary: This study investigated the association between spinal cord perfusion and microstructural damage in CSM patients who underwent cervical laminoplasty using MR dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) techniques. The results showed that increased spinal cord perfusion was associated with microstructural damage in postoperative CSM patients. The diffusion metrics and neurite density were significantly different between patients and healthy controls, and the perfusion metrics showed correlations with various diffusion metrics.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Zucheng Huang, Zhiping Huang, Ganggang Kong, Junyu Lin, Junhao Liu, Zhou Yang, Ruoyao Li, Xiuhua Wu, Nima Alaeiilkhchi, Hui Jiang, Jie Liu, Xiaoliang Wu, Qingan Zhu
Summary: This study establishes a graded hemi-contusion cervical spinal cord injury model in mice and investigates the correlation between anatomical damage to the spinal cord and resulting behavioral impairments. The results show that a 1.5 mm contusion displacement leads to more severe forelimb functional deficit compared to a 1.2 mm contusion displacement. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between performance in the grooming test and white matter sparing, as well as between grip strength and gray matter sparing.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Breanna M. Arnold, Behzad M. Toosi, Sally Caine, Gordon S. Mitchell, Gillian D. Muir
Summary: This study showed that prolonged repetitive AIH combined with task-specific training improved forelimb reach-to-grasp function in rats with chronic cervical hemisection, without affecting off-target motor tasks. It further supports the idea that daily AIH can enhance limb function when combined with task-specific training.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Feng Zhang, Xiaolie He, Kun Dong, Li Yang, Bei Ma, Yuchen Liu, Zhibo Liu, Bairu Chen, Rongrong Zhu, Liming Cheng
Summary: This study evaluated the combined effects of layered double hydroxide-coupled NT3 (MgFe-LDH/NT3) nanoparticles (NPs) and ultrasound (US) for spinal cord injury (SCI) therapy. The combined treatment promoted neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation into neurons and exerted anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. In a completely transected murine thoracic SCI model, the combined therapy improved behavioral and electrophysiological performance at eight weeks. RNA sequencing revealed that ultrasonic-induced Piezo1 downregulation is the core mechanism by which combined therapy promotes neurogenesis and inhibits inflammation.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
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)