Functional reorganization of the forepaw cortical representation immediately after thoracic spinal cord hemisection in rats

Yagüe, Josué G.; Humanes-Valera, D.; Aguilar, Juan; Foffani, Guglielmo

doi:10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.03.015

Cited by 25 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Functional reorganization of the sensory and motor cortex occurs after SCI, allowing for increased representation of the trunk and thoracic limbs, and structural reorganization of damaged motor pathways in the form of increased collateral sprouting of the corticospinal pathway occurs to increase connections in the cervical spinal cord immediately and weeks after injury (Fouad et al, 2001; Bazley et al, 2014; Oza and Giszter, 2014; Yagüe et al, 2014). Furthermore, changes in thoracic limb and trunk activity in rodent models of thoracic SCI have been previously demonstrated, such as increased thoracic limb and back extensor muscle activity, increased stepping frequency of the thoracic limbs, increased weight bearing in the thoracic limbs, and increased peak vertical forces of the thoracic limbs (Webb and Muir, 2002; Ballermann et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A simplified method of walking track analysis to assess short-term locomotor recovery after acute spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs

Song

Oldach

Basso

et al. 2016

The Veterinary Journal

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate a simplified method of walking track analysis to assess treatment outcome in canine spinal cord injury. Measurements of stride length (SL) and base of support (BS) were made using a ‘finger painting’ technique for footprint analysis in all limbs of 20 normal dogs and 27 dogs with 28 episodes of acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by spontaneous intervertebral disc extrusion. Measurements were determined at three separate time points in normal dogs and on day 3, 10 and 30 following decompressive surgery in dogs with SCI. Values for SL, BS and coefficient of variance (COV) for each parameter were compared between groups at each time point. Mean SL was significantly shorter in all four limbs of SCI-affected dogs at days 3, 10, and 30 compared to normal dogs. SL gradually increased toward normal in the 30 days following surgery. As measured by this technique, the COV-SL was significantly higher in SCI-affected dogs than normal dogs in both thoracic limbs (TL) and pelvic limbs (PL) only at day 3 after surgery. BS-TL was significantly wider in SCI-affected dogs at days 3, 10 and 30 following surgery compared to normal dogs. These findings support the use of footprint parameters to compare locomotor differences between normal and SCI-affected dogs, and to assess recovery from SCI. Additionally, our results underscore important changes in TL locomotion in thoracolumbar SCI-affected dogs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A simplified method of walking track analysis to assess short-term locomotor recovery after acute spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs

Song

Oldach

Basso

et al. 2016

The Veterinary Journal

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“…Furthermore, we specifically tested cortical reorganization using light tactile stimuli that reach the brain through the dorsal column pathway. Different reorganization profiles might be observed using stimuli of higher intensity that maximize dorsal column inputs and also activate the spinothalamic tract [10,11,39–42]. Nonetheless, because passive exercise of the hind limbs is a common rehabilitation practice in patient with spinal cord injury [43–49], spinal transection with passive bike exercise in rats provides a clinically relevant model of cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury [24].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive Effects Between Exercise and Serotonergic Pharmacotherapy on Cortical Reorganization After Spinal Cord Injury

Foffani

Shumsky

Knudsen

et al. 2015

Neurorehabil Neural Repair

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Background In rat models of spinal cord injury at least three different strategies can be used to promote long-term cortical reorganization: (1) active exercise above the level of the lesion; (2) passive exercise below the level of the lesion; and (3) serotonergic pharmacotherapy. Whether and how these potential therapeutic strategies – and their underlying mechanisms of action – interact remains unknown. Methods In spinally transected adult rats, we compared the effects of active exercise above the level of the lesion (treadmill), passive exercise below the level of the lesion (bike), serotonergic pharmacotherapy (quipazine) and combinations of the above therapies (bike+quipazine, treadmill+quipazine, bike+treadmill+quipazine) on long term cortical reorganization (9 weeks after the spinal transection). Cortical reorganization was measured as the percent of cells recorded in the deafferented hindlimb cortex that responded to tactile stimulation of the contralateral forelimb. Results Bike and quipazine are ‘competing’ therapies for cortical reorganization, in the sense that quipazine limits the cortical reorganization induced by bike, whereas treadmill and quipazine are ‘collaborative’ therapies, in the sense that the reorganization induced by quipazine combined with treadmill is greater than the reorganization induced by either quipazine or treadmill. Conclusions These results uncover the interactive effects between active/passive exercise and serotonergic pharmacotherapy on cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury, emphasizing the importance of understanding the effects of therapeutic strategies in spinal cord injury (and in other forms of deafferentation) from an integrated system-level approach.

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“…within 1-3 hours) after spinal cord injury. A complete thoracic spinal cord transection or hemisection in anesthetized rats immediately changes the state of the brain, decreasing cortical spontaneous activity as evidenced by a slowing of the frequency of anesthesia-induced oscillations (Aguilar et al, 2010; Yagüe et al, 2014). This deafferentation-dependent decrease of cortical spontaneous activity could in principle be mediated by decreased activity in primary somatosensory structures, ultimately mimicking a thalamo-cortical deafferentation (Rigas and Castro-Alamancos, 2007; Hirata and Castro-Alamancos, 2010; David et al, 2013), or by decreased activity in secondary structures regulating cortical synchrony and arousal at thalamic and brainstem, most likely involving a depression of the cholinergic system (Moruzzi and Magoun, 1949; Lindvall et al, 1974; Hobson et al, 1975; Foote et al, 1980; Aston-Jones and Bloom, 1981a,b; Satoh and Fibiger, 1986; Fox and Armstrong-James, 1986; Hallanger et al, 1987; Steriade et al, 1990; Aguilar and Castro-Alamancos, 2005; Ren et al, 2009).…”

Section: Cortical Reorganization Depends On the Time After Injury mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because in the rat somatosensory cortex slower spontaneous activity correlates with increased somatosensory responses (Petersen et al, 2003; Sachdev et al, 2004; Hasenstaub et al, 2007; Reig and Sanchez-Vives, 2007), spinal cord transection or hemisection also immediately increases the cortical responses to stimuli delivered above the level of the lesion (Aguilar et al, 2010; Yagüe et al, 2014). But if cortical spontaneous activity is carefully monitored, cortical responses immediately after spinal cord transection still increase, even without a change in cortical state (Humanes-Valera et al, 2013; Yagüe et al, 2014).…”

Section: Cortical Reorganization Depends On the Time After Injury mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But if cortical spontaneous activity is carefully monitored, cortical responses immediately after spinal cord transection still increase, even without a change in cortical state (Humanes-Valera et al, 2013; Yagüe et al, 2014). These increased responses could be due to a change in the equilibrium between excitation and inhibition at cortical and subcortical level.…”

Section: Cortical Reorganization Depends On the Time After Injury mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury: Always for good?

et al. 2014

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Plasticity constitutes the basis of behavioral changes as a result of experience. It refers to neural network shaping and re-shaping at the global level and to synaptic contacts remodeling at the local level, either during learning or memory encoding, or as a result of acute or chronic pathological conditions. ‘Plastic’ brain reorganization after central nervous system lesions has a pivotal role in the recovery and rehabilitation of sensory and motor dysfunction, but can also be “maladaptive”. Moreover, it is clear that brain reorganization it is not a “static” phenomenon but rather a very dynamic process. Spinal cord injury immediately initiates a change in brain state and starts cortical reorganization. In the long term, the impact of injury – with or without accompanying therapy – on the brain is a complex balance between supraspinal reorganization and spinal recovery. The degree of cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury is highly variable, and can range from no reorganization (i.e. “silencing”) to massive cortical remapping. This variability critically depends on the species, the age of the animal when the injury occurs, the time after the injury has occurred, and the behavioral activity and possible therapy regimes after the injury. We will briefly discuss these dependencies, trying to highlight their translational value. Overall, it is not only necessary to better understand how the brain can reorganize after injury with or without therapy, it is also necessary to clarify when and why brain reorganization can be either “good” or “bad” in terms of its clinical consequences. This information is critical in order to develop and optimize cost-effective therapies to maximize functional recovery while minimizing maladaptive states after spinal cord injury.

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Functional reorganization of the forepaw cortical representation immediately after thoracic spinal cord hemisection in rats

Cited by 25 publications

References 46 publications

A simplified method of walking track analysis to assess short-term locomotor recovery after acute spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs

A simplified method of walking track analysis to assess short-term locomotor recovery after acute spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs

Interactive Effects Between Exercise and Serotonergic Pharmacotherapy on Cortical Reorganization After Spinal Cord Injury

Cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury: Always for good?

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