scholarly journals A bipedal mammalian model for spinal cord injury research: The tammar wallaby

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman R. Saunders ◽  
Katarzyna M. Dziegielewska ◽  
Sophie C. Whish ◽  
Lyn A. Hinds ◽  
Benjamin J. Wheaton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Tammar Wallaby ◽  
Muscle Coordination ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Hind Limbs ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Trunk Posture ◽  
Peripheral Sensory

Background: Most animal studies of spinal cord injury are conducted in quadrupeds, usually rodents. It is unclear to what extent functional results from such studies can be translated to bipedal species such as humans because bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion involve very different patterns of spinal control of muscle coordination. Bipedalism requires upright trunk stability and coordinated postural muscle control; it has been suggested that peripheral sensory input is less important in humans than quadrupeds for recovery of locomotion following spinal injury. Methods: We used an Australian macropod marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), because tammars exhibit an upright trunk posture, human-like alternating hindlimb movement when swimming and bipedal over-ground locomotion. Regulation of their muscle movements is more similar to humans than quadrupeds. At different postnatal (P) days (P7–60) tammars received a complete mid-thoracic spinal cord transection. Morphological repair, as well as functional use of hind limbs, was studied up to the time of their pouch exit. Results: Growth of axons across the lesion restored supraspinal innervation in animals injured up to 3 weeks of age but not in animals injured after 6 weeks of age. At initial pouch exit (P180), the young injured at P7-21 were able to hop on their hind limbs similar to age-matched controls and to swim albeit with a different stroke. Those animals injured at P40-45 appeared to be incapable of normal use of hind limbs even while still in the pouch. Conclusions: Data indicate that the characteristic over-ground locomotion of tammars provides a model in which regrowth of supraspinal connections across the site of injury can be studied in a bipedal animal. Forelimb weight-bearing motion and peripheral sensory input appear not to compensate for lack of hindlimb control, as occurs in quadrupeds. Tammars may be a more appropriate model for studies of therapeutic interventions relevant to humans.

scholarly journals Swim test for joint angles dispersion analysis during hind limb motor function assessment in SCI models

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Vladimir A. Smirnov ◽  
Sergey A. Bazanovich ◽  
Mikhail Ya. Yadgarov ◽  
Marina A. Zvyagintseva ◽  
Andrew A. Grin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Movement Direction ◽  
Function Evaluation ◽  
Joint Angles ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Hind Limbs ◽  
Cord Injury

In the most of functional studies, various stress tests are used to assess functional improvement following spinal cord injury in animal models. However, available methods of motor function evaluation are not always accurate and unbiased. The main objective of the study was to create a new method of motor activity assessment in minor animal models of spinal cord injury. This method should provide an objective and accurate evaluation of limb motor function in models having severe neurological disorders following contusion spinal cord injury. The swimming test was used as the key behavioral test. To assess the motor function of swimming animals’ hind limbs, we measured angles of hind limbs movements adjusted to the motion direction axis. Then we calculated individual angles dispersion for each joint and limb using the parameters of angles sample dispersion and amplitude-depending dispersion. The current study included two groups of Sprague-Dawley rats: control group and a group of animals having moderate thoracic spinal cord contusion injury. Control animals demonstrated stable dispersion indicators for 6 weeks of follow-up. In the experimental group, a tendency to the improvement of motor function in hind limbs between 1 and 3 weeks was revealed followed by stabilization and preservation of both indicators between 3 and 6 weeks. Provided method based on the measurement of joint angles adjusted to the movement direction axis followed by calculation of indicators of variance of a random variable and amplitude-depending variance can be an effective and objective alternative for motor function evaluation.

scholarly journals Sonic Hedgehog modulates the inflammatory response and improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury in a thoracic contusion–compression model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Alexander Younsi ◽  
Guoli Zheng ◽  
Mohamed Tail ◽  
Anna-Kathrin Harms ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Sonic Hedgehog ◽  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Intrathecal Administration ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Shh Pathway ◽  
Thoracic Spinal ◽  
Cord Injury

Abstract Purpose The Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathway has been associated with a protective role after injury to the central nervous system (CNS). We, therefore, investigated the effects of intrathecal Shh-administration in the subacute phase after thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) on secondary injury processes in rats. Methods Twenty-one Wistar rats were subjected to thoracic clip-contusion/compression SCI at T9. Animals were randomized into three treatment groups (Shh, Vehicle, Sham). Seven days after SCI, osmotic pumps were implanted for seven-day continuous intrathecal administration of Shh. Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) score, Gridwalk test and bodyweight were weekly assessed. Animals were sacrificed six weeks after SCI and immunohistological analyses were conducted. The results were compared between groups and statistical analysis was performed (p < 0.05 was considered significant). Results The intrathecal administration of Shh led to significantly increased polarization of macrophages toward the anti-inflammatory M2-phenotype, significantly decreased T-lymphocytic invasion and significantly reduced resident microglia six weeks after the injury. Reactive astrogliosis was also significantly reduced while changes in size of the posttraumatic cyst as well as the overall macrophagic infiltration, although reduced, remained insignificant. Finally, with the administration of Shh, gain of bodyweight (216.6 ± 3.65 g vs. 230.4 ± 5.477 g; p = 0.0111) and BBB score (8.2 ± 0.2 vs. 5.9 ± 0.7 points; p = 0.0365) were significantly improved compared to untreated animals six weeks after SCI as well. Conclusion Intrathecal Shh-administration showed neuroprotective effects with attenuated neuroinflammation, reduced astrogliosis and improved functional recovery six weeks after severe contusion/compression SCI.

Thoracic spinal cord injury without major bone injury associated with ossification of the ligamentum flavum

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaaki Machino ◽  
Shiro Imagama ◽  
Keigo Ito ◽  
Kei Ando ◽  
Kazuyoshi Kobayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Ligamentum Flavum ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Thoracic Spinal ◽  
Bone Injury ◽  
Cord Injury

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy After Acute Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury

Spine ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. E442-E447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asdrubal Falavigna ◽  
Manuela Peletti Figueiró ◽  
Pedro Guarise da Silva ◽  
Lucas Piccoli Conzatti ◽  
Elisa Braun Rizkalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Hyperbaric Oxygen ◽  
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy ◽  
Oxygen Therapy ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Thoracic Spinal ◽  
Cord Injury

scholarly journals Bone Marrow-Derived Monocytes Drive the Inflammatory Microenvironment in Local and Remote Regions after Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 937-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. Norden ◽  
Timothy D. Faw ◽  
Daniel B. McKim ◽  
Rochelle J. Deibert ◽  
Lesley C. Fisher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Inflammatory Microenvironment ◽  
Thoracic Spinal ◽  
Cord Injury

scholarly journals A complex case of neuro-muscular rehabilitation with favorable evolution, in a patient with incomplete tetraplegia post cervical and thoracic spinal cord injury - surgically treated, in a politraumatic context, by car accident

2020 ◽  
pp. 524-526
Author(s):  
Andreea DUMITRASCU ◽  
Ioana ANDONE ◽  
Aura SPÎNU ◽  
Carmen CHIPĂRUȘ ◽  
Cristina POPESCU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Complex Case ◽  
Urinary Catheterization ◽  
Functional Evaluation ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Car Accident

Introduction: Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are major conditions that usually determine severe and permanent dysfunctions, or even important loss of basic functions, generating severe or rather permanent sequels. They can have important chronic consequences such as: tetraplegia or paraplegia.(1). Materials and Methods: This paper presents the case of a young 19-year-old patient who suffered in March 2019, a car accident (passenger) with spinal cord injury (SCI) at cervical and thoracic level in a politraumatic context, hospitalized at the Neurosurgery Clinic (NS) II of TEHBA in a severe condition, for complete AIS/Frankel A tetraplegia, with a C7 fracture, T3, T4, T5 cominutive fractures with fragments in the medullary channel, minor traumatic brain injury, multiple costal fractures, abdominal trauma and respiratory failure. When the patient became hemodynamic and respiratory stable it was decided a neuro-surgical intervention, initially at cervical level through an anterior approach, with mixed osteo-sinthesis and C7 discectomy. Because of the spine instability, thoracic surgical treatment was delayed with 11 days, when he suffers a neurosurgery for medullary decompression, drainage and stabilization of the spine. In our clinical division, the patient was admitted with an incomplete AIS/Frankel B tetraplegia and initially followed a rehabilitation nursing program and subsequently continued with a recovery therapy according to clinical stages. The patient was assessed functionally using the following scales: AIS/Frankel, modified Ashworth, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Life Quality Assessment (QOL), FAC International Scale, Independence Assessment Scale in Daily Activities (ADL / IADL), Walking Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI). Results: The patient benefited from a complex neuro-muscular rehabilitation program, having a favorable evolution, with an increase in the evaluated scales scores – passing from AIS/Frankel B classification to a severe AIS/Frankel C stage, and thus, at the moment he is performing walking on short distances, through parallel bars, with long left leg orthosis and support from another person. It was tried a sphincter re-education, but, after urologic examination, because of the important spasticity in the lower limbs and of the urinary catheterization discomfort, it was decided that for a while the patient to remain with fixed urinary catheterization. Conclusions: Even if there is still no cure for SCI sequels, the accurate clinical-functional evaluation, the neurosurgical prompt therapeutic approach, adding complex nursing measures, personalized rehabilitative and kinetotherapy programs, in a young patient with SCI by car accident, determined neuro-locomotor improvements with an increase in patient’s quality of life.(1),(2). Keywords: spinal cord injuries, tetraplegia, traumatism, rehabilitation,

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