Operant Conditioning of H-Reflex Can Correct a Locomotor Abnormality after Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

The Journal of Neuroscience, 2006 · DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2198-06.2006 · Published: November 29, 2006

Spinal Cord Injury Neurology Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study investigates whether training a spinal reflex (H-reflex) can improve walking in rats with spinal cord injuries. The researchers created a specific spinal cord injury in rats that caused them to walk unevenly. Then they trained the rats to increase the size of their H-reflex in one leg. The rats that received the H-reflex training walked more evenly after the training, while the untrained rats continued to walk unevenly. This suggests that this type of training might help people with spinal cord injuries to walk better.

Study Duration

50 Days (HRup protocol)

Participants

13 female Sprague Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Animal Study

Key Findings

1
Midthoracic transection of the right lateral column of the spinal cord produced a persistent asymmetry in the muscle activity underlying treadmill locomotion.
2
H-reflex up-conditioning increased the right soleus burst and corrected the locomotor asymmetry.
3
The locomotor asymmetry persisted in the control rats.

Research Summary

This study demonstrates that H-reflex conditioning can correct a physiologically defined locomotor abnormality caused by an anatomically defined spinal cord lesion in rats. The results suggest that reflex conditioning protocols that affect descending activity might provide a precise and practical new method for improving specific aspects of motor function in people with spinal cord injuries or other chronic CNS disorders. The study also highlights that the effects of an operant conditioning protocol are not necessarily limited to the protocol: they can also affect the CNS activity underlying another motor behavior, specifically locomotion.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

H-reflex conditioning could help restore function in people with partial spinal cord injuries.

Targeted Rehabilitation

Conditioning protocols can be designed to address the particular deficits of individual patients, offering tailored rehabilitation strategies.

Complementary Therapies

Operant conditioning can complement locomotor training regimens, focusing on specific spinal cord pathways to enhance overall motor behavior.

Study Limitations

1
The data presented here rely on the right and left soleus locomotor bursts to assess specific aspects of locomotion.
2
The practical functional impact of reflex conditioning requires assessment.
3
The long-term persistence of the effects of H-reflex conditioning is not yet well defined.

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