Browse the latest research summaries in the field of neuroplasticity for spinal cord injury patients and caregivers.
Showing 101-110 of 153 results
Scientific Reports, 2017 • October 5, 2017
This case study reports on a chronic motor complete SCI individual who regained volitional motor control and independent standing without spinal cord epidural stimulation (scES) after long-term activi...
KEY FINDING: After activity-based training with scES, the participant showed progressive recovery of volitional leg movements and standing without scES.
Neural Plasticity, 2017 • September 12, 2017
This study demonstrates that injured RtST axons can rewire and form new connections with PrINs after SCI, which is associated with improved locomotor performance. The timing of the SCI plays a critica...
KEY FINDING: Rats with a delayed staggered SCI (dSTAG) showed significantly more RtST-PrIN contacts in the grey matter compared to those with a concomitant staggered SCI (cSTAG).
Brain Res, 2012 • February 15, 2012
The study investigated gene expression changes in motor and sensory neurons following spinal cord injury (SCI) and exercise, focusing on neurotrophic factors, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and caspases....
KEY FINDING: Exercise increased the expression of genes related to nerve growth and plasticity, specifically BDNF and GDNF, in motoneurons and intermediate gray matter.
Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 2018 • January 1, 2018
The study investigated motor cortex plasticity following tendon transfer surgery in individuals with tetraplegia, focusing on thumb flexion restoration. fMRI results indicated that regained thumb cont...
KEY FINDING: Cortical activations elicited by elbow flexion did not differ between patients and controls.
Neurotherapeutics, 2018 • June 26, 2018
This review addresses the potential for activating residual corticospinal projections after SCI to improve motor recovery. It discusses evidence showing that spinal cord injuries are rarely anatomical...
KEY FINDING: A large proportion of individuals with clinically complete SCI show signs of spared connections, categorized as 'discomplete'.
IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng, 2018 • June 1, 2018
This study investigated the effects of transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation combined with physical therapy on upper extremity function in a 62-year-old male with chronic tetraplegia. The ...
KEY FINDING: Upper extremity muscle strength nearly doubled over the course of treatment and stabilized at 75% stronger than baseline for three months without further treatment.
Neurotherapeutics, 2018 • June 7, 2018
Following spinal cord injury, cortical motor and somatosensory representations undergo spontaneous reorganization, affecting neurophysiology and neuronal structure. Functional recovery and remodeling ...
KEY FINDING: Spinal cord injury leads to changes in the motor cortex, with increased activity in both existing and new areas of the brain.
Neurotherapeutics, 2018 • June 11, 2018
Recent advances in neuroscience and devices are ushering in a new generation of medical treatments, with engineered biodevices demonstrating the potential to create long-term changes in neural circuit...
KEY FINDING: Neural devices operating in a closed-loop, activity-dependent paradigm can powerfully influence neural circuits, leading to long-term rewiring of neural circuits that outlasts stimulation.
Trends Neurosci, 2018 • September 1, 2018
Spinal interneurons (SpINs) are essential for neuroplasticity after spinal cord injury, influencing motor and sensory functions. Advances in genetics and developmental neurobiology are enhancing the u...
KEY FINDING: SpINs are key cellular elements for plasticity following spinal cord injury.
Neural Regeneration Research, 2019 • March 1, 2019
Spinal cord injury is a devastating condition, and rehabilitation is the most effective strategy for managing paralysis and impairments. Rodent models of rehabilitation can help reveal the axonal chan...
KEY FINDING: Animal models of SCI rehabilitation, such as treadmill training and wheel running, can mimic clinical rehabilitation and reveal axonal changes underlying motor recovery.