Topic: locomotor recovery

Sensorimotor rehabilitation is so far the most extended and powerful intervention applied to enhance functional recovery to people with spinal cord injuries. Although the activity dependent plasticity mechanisms induced in the spinal networks remain unknown, extensive studies in humans and animal models have revealed the importance that the intrinsic variables of each rehabilitation regime have for the obtaining the highest degree of recovery. Nevertheless, since the gain achieved is incomplete, compensatory, or synergistic interventions which can increase the efficiency of patient’s sensorimo

In western nations, the average age of spinal cord injury (SCI) has increased and is equally spread out between 20-65 years old. SCI typically causes focal demyelination of spared axons near the site of injury. Surprisingly, we did not find locomotor impairment after SCI when remyelination was inhibited in young mice (Duncan et al. 2018, Nat. Comm). However, the functional impact of remyelination after SCI at an advanced age is unknown. Here, we assessed the importance of remyelination for locomotor recovery, cognitive function, and anxiety in young (3-5 month) and aged (15-18 month) mice of b