The Impact of Treadmill Training on Tissue Integrity, Axon Growth, and Astrocyte Modulation

This research investigates how treadmill training affects recovery from spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The study looks at motor function, tissue health, and nerve fiber growth. The results showed that treadmill training improved motor skills, protected spinal cord tissue, and encouraged nerve fiber growth around the injury site. However, the training had little effect on certain nerve cells and glial cells. These findings suggest that while treadmill training can help with functional recovery after SCI, it may not be enough to address all aspects of neural repair, indicating the need for more comprehensive rehabilitation strategies.

• 1
  Treadmill training significantly improved motor functions in rats post-SCI, as evidenced by improved BBB scores and enhanced electromyography readings.
• 2
  The training facilitates the preservation of spinal cord tissue, effectively reducing secondary damage and promoting the maintenance of neural fibers in the injured area.
• 3
  Treadmill training stimulated axonal growth around the injury epicenter, marked by increased GAP43 expression, but had a limited impact on motoneuron adaptation and minimal changes in astrocyte and NG2 response.