Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2015
Predicting the Risk for Central Pain Using the Sensory Components of the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury.
Central neuropathic pain (CP) after spinal cord injury (SCI) is excruciating and difficult to manage. Pre-emptive treatment could be initiated in patients at risk for CP providing that it can be predicted. A combination of psychophysical tests could predict CP, but the process necessitates sophisticated equipment and constant monitoring. ⋯ At-level delta LT-PP score>1 best predicted CP; the odds of developing CP with LT-PP>1 was 24.4 times that of the reverse category (LT-PP<1). Heat-pain and touch thresholds significantly correlated with PP and LT. We conclude that the SC-ISNCSCI can be used as a clinical biomarker of CP with high probability.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2015
Output Properties of the Cortical Hindlimb Motor Area in Spinal Cord-Injured Rats.
The purpose of this study was to examine neuronal activity levels in the hindlimb area of motor cortex following spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats and compare the results with measurements in normal rats. Fifteen male Fischer-344 rats received a 200 Kdyn contusion injury in the thoracic cord at level T9-T10. After a minimum of 4 weeks following SCI, intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and single-unit recording techniques were used in both the forelimb and hindlimb motor areas (FLA, HLA) under ketamine anesthesia. ⋯ Despite the inability to evoke movement from stimulation of cortex, robust single-unit activity could be recorded reliably from hindlimb motor cortex in SCI rats. Activity in the motor cortex of SCI rats was significantly higher compared with uninjured rats, and increased in hindlimb and forelimb motor cortex by similar amounts. These results demonstrate that in a rat model of thoracic SCI, an increase in single-unit cortical activity can be reliably recorded for several weeks post-injury.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2015
Delayed imatinib treatment for acute spinal cord injury; functional recovery and serum biomarkers.
With no currently available drug treatment for spinal cord injury, there is a need for additional therapeutic candidates. We took the approach of repositioning existing pharmacological agents to serve as acute treatments for spinal cord injury and previously found imatinib to have positive effects on locomotor and bladder function in experimental spinal cord injury when administered immediately after the injury. However, for imatinib to have translational value, it needs to have sustained beneficial effects with delayed initiation of treatment, as well. ⋯ This correlated to macrophage activation and autofluorescence in lymphoid organs. At the site of injury in the spinal cord, macrophage activation was instead reduced by imatinib treatment. Our data strengthen the case for clinical trials of imatinib by showing that initiation of treatment can be delayed and by identifying serum cytokines that may serve as candidate markers of effective imatinib doses.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Nov 2015
Acute Phase Proteins in Cerebrospinal Fluid from Dogs with Naturally-Occurring Spinal Cord Injury.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects thousands of people each year and there are no treatments that dramatically improve clinical outcome. Canine intervertebral disc herniation is a naturally-occurring SCI that has similarities to human injury and can be used as a translational model for evaluating therapeutic interventions. Here, we characterized cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) acute phase proteins (APPs) that have altered expression across a spectrum of neurological disorders, using this canine model system. ⋯ The concentrations of CRP and Hp were significantly higher (p=0.0071 and p=0.0197, respectively) in dogs with severe injury, compared with those with mild-to-moderate SCI, but there was no significant correlation between assessed CSF APP concentrations and 42 d motor outcome. This study demonstrated that CSF APPs were dysregulated in dogs with naturally-occurring SCI and could be used as markers for SCI severity. As Hp was increased following severe SCI and is neuroprotective across a number of model systems, it may represent a viable therapeutic target.