Spinal plasticity

Paired associative stimulation (PAS) consisting of high-intensity transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and high-frequency peripheral nerve stimulation (known as high-PAS) induces plastic changes and improves motor performance in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Listening to music during PAS may potentially improve mood and arousal and facilitate PAS-induced neuroplasticity via auditory-motor coupling, but the effects have not been explored. This pilot study aimed to determine if the effect of high-PAS on motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and subjective alertness can be augmented with music...

Prolonged inhibition of respiratory neural activity elicits a long-lasting increase in phrenic nerve amplitude, known as inactivity-induced phrenic motor facilitation (iPMF). Facilitation also occurs transiently in inspiratory intercostal nerve activity following inactivity (iIMF). Atypical PKC activity in the cervical spinal cord is necessary for iPMF and iIMF, but the site and relevant PKC isoform are unknown. Here, we used RNA interference to test the hypothesis that the atypical PKCζ isoform within phrenic motor neurons is necessary for iPMF, but PKCζ within intercostal motor neurons is unnecessary for transient iIMF...

PURPOSE: Resection of sacral neoplasms such as chordoma and chondrosarcoma with subsequent reconstruction of large soft tissue defects is a complex multidisciplinary process. Radiotherapy and prior abdominal surgery play a role in reconstructive planning; however, there is no consensus on how to maximize outcomes. In this study, we present our institution's experience with the reconstructive surgical management of this unique patient population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent reconstruction after resection of primary or recurrent pelvic chordoma or chondrosarcoma between 2002 and 2019...

After exposure of the human body to resistive exercise, the force-generation capacity of the trained muscles increases significantly. Despite decades of research, the neural and muscular stimuli that initiate these changes in muscle force are not yet fully understood. The study of these adaptations is further complicated by the fact that the changes may be partly specific to the training task. For example, short-term strength training does not always influence the neural drive to muscles during the early phase (<100 ms) of force development in rapid isometric contractions...

BACKGROUND: Complex surgical back wounds represent significant morbidity in patients who have undergone spinal procedures requiring closure or revision by plastic surgeons. This study aimed to assess the utility of bacterial wound culture data for predicting surgical outcomes of wound management. METHODS: This study is a single-institution retrospective review of consecutive patients who required plastic surgery intervention for wound infection following spinal procedures between the years 2010 and 2021 (n = 70)...

The natural history of spinal cord cavernous malformation (SCM) may be characterized by recurrent episodes of hemorrhage resulting in a range of neurologic deficits, most of which are microhemorrhage and subsequent gliosis that can lead to progressive myelopathy. Macrohemorrhage with acute onset of symptoms is extremely rare and leads to irreversible neurologic deficits. In this article, we present an unusual case of ruptured cavernous malformation (CM) in the cervical spinal cord with large extralesional hemorrhage...

Combustion of mixed materials during open air burning of refuse or structural fires in the wildland urban interface produces emissions that worsen air quality, contaminate rivers and streams, and cause poor health outcomes including developmental effects. The zebrafish, a freshwater fish, is a useful model for quickly screening the toxicological and developmental effects of agents in such species and elicits biological responses that are often analogous and predictive of responses in mammals. The purpose of this study was to compare the developmental toxicity of smoke derived from the burning of 5 different burn pit-related material types (plywood, cardboard, plastic, a mixture of the three, and the mixture plus diesel fuel as an accelerant) in zebrafish larvae...

One of the challenges of the mature nervous system is to maintain the stability of neural networks while providing a degree of plasticity to generate experience-dependent modifications. This plasticity-stability dynamism is regulated by perineuronal nets (PNNs) and is crucial for the proper functioning of the system. Previously, we found a relation between spinal PNNs reduction and maladaptive plasticity after spinal cord injury (SCI), which was attenuated by maintaining PNNs with activity-dependent therapies...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) increases the risk of cardiometabolic disorders, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Not only does SCI lead to pathological expansion of adipose tissue, but it also leads to ectopic lipid accumulation in organs integral to glucose and insulin metabolism. The pathophysiological changes that underlie adipose tissue dysfunction after SCI are unknown. Here, we find that SCI exacerbates lipolysis in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Whereas expression of the α2δ1 subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels increases in calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive dorsal root ganglia neurons that project to eWAT, conditional deletion of the gene encoding α2δ1 in these neurons normalizes eWAT lipolysis after SCI...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) negatively impacts individuals' functional independence, motor, and sensory function. Intense walking training has been shown to facilitate recovery for individuals with chronic SCI. Powered robotic exoskeletons provide therapists with a tool that allows them to conduct walking training with less therapist effort as compared to conventional walking training. Exoskeletal-assisted walking (EAW) has been studied in the chronic SCI population with preliminary reports showing benefits in mobility, health, and quality of life outcomes...

Cerebrovascular accidents, also known as strokes, represent a major global public health challenge and contribute to substantial mortality, disability, and socioeconomic burden. Multidisciplinary approaches for poststroke therapies are crucial for recovering lost functions and adapting to new limitations. This review discusses the potential of neuromodulation techniques, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation, spinal cord stimulation (SCS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and deep brain stimulation (DBS), as innovative strategies for facilitating poststroke recovery...

Pain hypersensitivity arises from the plasticity of peripheral and spinal somatosensory neurons, which modifies nociceptive input to the brain and alters pain perception. We utilized chronic calcium imaging of spinal dorsal horn neurons to determine how the representation of somatosensory stimuli in the anterolateral tract, the principal pathway transmitting nociceptive signals to the brain, changes between distinct pain states. In healthy conditions, we identify stable, narrowly tuned outputs selective for cooling or warming, and a neuronal ensemble activated by intense/noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli...

Vestibulodynia is a complex pain disorder characterized by chronic discomfort in the vulvar region, often accompanied by tactile allodynia and spontaneous pain. In patients a depressive behaviour is also observed. In this study, we have used a model of vestibulodynia induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) focusing our investigation on the spinal cord neurons and microglia. We investigated tactile allodynia, spontaneous pain, and depressive-like behavior as key behavioral markers of vestibulodynia. In addition, we conducted in vivo electrophysiological recordings to provide, for the first time to our knowledge, the characterization of the spinal sacral neuronal activity in the L6-S1 dorsal horn of the spinal cord...

INTRODUCTION: Axonal plasticity is strongly related to neuronal development as well as regeneration. It was recently demonstrated that active mechanical tension, intended as an extrinsic factor, is a valid contribution to the modulation of axonal plasticity. METHODS: In previous publications, our team validated a the "nano-pulling" method used to apply mechanical forces to developing axons of isolated primary neurons using magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) actuated by static magnetic fields...

OBJECTIVE: To review current status of surgical treatment for angular kyphosis in spinal tuberculosis and provide reference for clinical treatment. METHODS: The literature on the surgical treatment for angular kyphosis of spinal tuberculosis in recent years was extensively reviewed and summarized from the aspects of surgical indications, surgical contraindications, surgical approach, selection of osteotomy, and perioperative management. RESULTS: Angular kyphosis of spine is a common complication in patients with spinal tuberculosis...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats and the influence of Notch/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. METHODS: A total of 40 10-week-old male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were selected to establish T 10 -segment SCI model by a free falling object. Among them, 32 successful models were randomly divided into model group and bFGF group, with 16 in each group...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws combined with interbody fusion for thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury. METHODS: Between January 2017 and June 2022, 28 patients with thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury were underwent posterior depression, the injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws, and interbody fusion. There were 22 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 41...

Hypertension is a major adverse effect of calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine, used clinically as immunosuppressants. Calcineurin inhibitor-induced hypertension (CIH) is linked to augmented sympathetic output from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). GluA2-lacking, Ca2+ -permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) are a key feature of glutamatergic synaptic plasticity, yet their role in CIH remains elusive. Here, we found that systemic administration of FK506 in rats significantly increased serine phosphorylation of GluA1 and GluA2 in PVN synaptosomes...

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) disrupts critical autonomic pathways responsible for the regulation of the immune function. Consequently, individuals with SCI often exhibit a spectrum of immune dysfunctions ranging from the development of damaging pro-inflammatory responses to severe immunosuppression. Thus, it is imperative to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the extent and mechanisms through which SCI-induced autonomic dysfunction influences the immune response. In this review, we provide an overview of the anatomical organization and physiology of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), elucidating how SCI impacts its function, with a particular focus on lymphoid organs and immune activity...

Radicular pain, a common and complex form of neuropathic pain, presents significant challenges in treatment. Acupuncture, a therapy originating from ancient traditional Chinese medicine and widely utilized for various pain types, including radicular pain, has shown promising outcomes in the management of lumbar radicular pain, cervical radicular pain, and radicular pain due to spinal stenosis. Despite its efficacy, the exact mechanisms through which acupuncture achieves analgesia are not fully elucidated and are the subject of ongoing research...