Browse the latest research summaries in the field of physiology for spinal cord injury patients and caregivers.
Showing 151-160 of 321 results
Scientific Reports, 2021 • January 26, 2021
This study presents a high-resolution comparative atlas of the lumbosacral spinal cord in rats, cats, pigs, monkeys, and humans, detailing the location, length, cross-sectional area, and morphology of...
KEY FINDING: The lumbar enlargement spans different spinal cord levels in each species: L3-S1 in rats, L4-S1 in cats, L3-S1 in pigs, L2/L3-L7/S1 in monkeys, and T12/L1-S1/S2 in humans.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2021 • February 4, 2021
The study evaluated the effects of rTMS on rat gait function under simulated microgravity (SM) conditions. SM was induced for 21 days, with rTMS applied for 14 days starting on the eighth day of SM. B...
KEY FINDING: SM could cause gait disorders such as decreased walking ability and contralateral limb imbalance in rats, which could be reversed by rTMS.
Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep., 2020 • September 1, 2020
Preliminary findings detailed in this review affirm that breathing mild episodes of oxygen-deprived air appears to be a safe and effective therapeutic primer to enhance motor function (i.e., walking) ...
KEY FINDING: Repetitive AIH is a safe and efficacious treatment to enhance strength, walking speed and endurance, as well as, dynamic balance in persons with chronic, incomplete SCI.
Neuromodulation, 2021 • September 1, 2021
The study describes the post hoc clinical and neurophysiological assessment of five patients, three of whom were nonresponders in a neuromodulation study aimed at evoking motor response in motor compl...
KEY FINDING: Nonresponders presented with a complete absence of spasticity and absence of leg reflexes.
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2021 • January 1, 2021
The study compares body composition assessment techniques in individuals with SCI to the 4-compartment (4C) model, the criterion standard for measuring body fat. A regression equation incorporating ag...
KEY FINDING: A regression equation using age, sex, weight, and abdominal skinfold thickness can estimate body fat with reasonable accuracy in SCI patients.
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2021 • January 1, 2021
Cardiometabolic disorders are a leading cause of mortality in persons with SCI, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) plays a significant role. Factors like age, level of injury, and sex influence VAT dis...
KEY FINDING: Level of injury, age, and time since injury influence visceral adipose tissue (VAT) distribution, but the effect of the level of injury may be influenced by aging and time since injury.
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2021 • January 1, 2021
Individuals with SCI are at risk for neurogenic obesity due to changes in body composition, reduced physical activity, and metabolic dysfunction. Accurate assessment of metabolic rate is crucial to pr...
KEY FINDING: Measured metabolic rate is lower in persons with SCI compared to the nondisabled population, ranging from 1256 to 1854 kcal/day for individuals with longstanding SCI.
Spine Surg Relat Res, 2021 • April 1, 2021
This study anatomically investigated the localization of the lumbar plexus within the psoas muscle using 27 cadavers. The psoas muscle was cut at L2/3, L3/4, and L4/5 disc levels, and the position of ...
KEY FINDING: The lumbar plexus is located in the posterior one-third and medial one-third of the psoas muscle.
Front. Neural Circuits, 2021 • March 23, 2021
This study investigates the role of CaV1.3 channels in SCI-induced hyperexcitability and the therapeutic potential of CPT, a selective CaV1.3 channel inhibitor, using a mouse model of chronic SCI. The...
KEY FINDING: Chronic SCI mice exhibit hyperexcitability in the spinal motor system, demonstrated by enhanced root reflexes compared to acute SCI mice.
GeroScience, 2021 • April 24, 2021
This study provides direct evidence for NMJ dysfunction as a potential mechanism of age-related muscle dysfunction pathogenesis and severity in rats. The findings suggest that modulation of NMJ transm...
KEY FINDING: Aged rats exhibited significant declines in NMJ transmission stability and reliability, as measured by SFEMG and RNS.