Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2020
Comparative StudyComparison of Gait Assessment Scales in Dogs with Spinal Cord Injury due to Intervertebral Disc Herniation.
Naturally occurring thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI) is common in dogs, and multi-center veterinary clinical studies can serve as translational tools to identify potentially effective therapies for human clinical trials. Assessment of gait is a key outcome, and several scales are used in dogs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an international group of researchers could score gait reliably, to compare and contrast the performance of gait scales and to describe appropriate data analysis techniques. ⋯ The TSCIS and OFS captured recovery of ambulatory dogs better, and addition of scores on hopping and proprioception mitigated ceiling effect. We conclude that gait in dogs with SCI can be scored reliably after training. A variety of different gait scales can be used in multi-center trials to capture outcome in different ways.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2020
Investigation of Bowel Function with Anorectal Manometry in a Rat Spinal Cord Contusion Model.
Bowel dysfunction after chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common source of morbidity and rehospitalization. Typical complications include constipation, fecal impaction, incontinence, abdominal distention, autonomic dysreflexia, and the necessity of interventions (i.e., suppositories, digital stimulation) to defecate. Numerous surveys have confirmed that the remediation of bowel complications is more highly valued for quality of life than improvements in walking. ⋯ The results indicate higher fecal output after contusion during the sub-acute period (4-7 days) post-injury, changes in the composition of the feces, and functionally obstructive responses in a specific section of the rectum (increased baseline pressure, increased frequency of contraction, and reduced ability to trigger a giant contraction to a distension stimulus). These results demonstrate significant bowel dysfunction in the rodent SCI contusion model that is consistent with data from human research. Thus, the combined measurement protocol enables the detection of changes and can be used, with minimal cost, to assess effectiveness of therapeutic interventions on bowel complications.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2020
Analysis of N- and O-linked Glycosylation: Differential Glycosylation After Rat Spinal Cord Injury.
Glycosylation is a fundamental cellular process that has a dramatic impact on the functionality of glycoconjugates such as proteins or lipids and mediates many different biological interactions including cell migration, cellular signaling, and synaptic interactions in the nervous system. In spinal cord injury (SCI), all of these cellular processes are altered, but the potential contributions of glycosylation changes to these alterations has not been thoroughly investigated. We studied the glycosylation of injured spinal cord tissue from rats that received a contusion SCI. ⋯ Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot were performed on SCI and sham samples using the CT1 antibody, which recognizes the terminal trisaccharide of Sda with high specificity. Both of these metrics confirmed elevated Sda structure in SCI tissue, where IHC further showed that Sda is expressed mainly by microglia. The results of these studies suggest that SCI causes a significant alteration in N- and O-linked glycosylation.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2020
The effect of sex on motor function, lesion size, and neuropathic pain after contusion spinal cord injury in mice.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes neurodegeneration, impairs locomotor function, and impacts the quality of life particularly in those individuals in whom neuropathic pain develops. Whether the time course of neurodegeneration, locomotor impairment, or neuropathic pain varies with sex, however, remains understudied. Therefore, the objective of this study in male and female C57BL/6 mice was to evaluate the following outcomes for six weeks after a 75-kdyn thoracic contusion SCI: locomotor function using the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS); spinal cord tissue sparing and rostral-caudal lesion length; and mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia using hindpaw application of Von Frey filaments or radiant heat stimuli, respectively. ⋯ Rostral-caudal lesion length was shorter in females than in males. Mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia after SCI developed in all animals, regardless of sex; there were no differences in pain outcomes between sexes. We conclude that contusion SCI yields subtle sex differences in mice depending on the outcome measure but no significant differences in behavioral signs of neuropathic pain.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Sep 2020
Multicenter StudyBrain Tissue Oxygen and Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Traumatic Brain Injury: A CENTER-TBI Exploratory Analysis of Insult Burden.
Pressure reactivity index (PRx) and brain tissue oxygen (PbtO2) are associated with outcome in traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study explores the relationship between PRx and PbtO2 in adult moderate/severe TBI. Using the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) high resolution intensive care unit (ICU) sub-study cohort, we evaluated those patients with archived high-frequency digital intraparenchymal intracranial pressure (ICP) and PbtO2 monitoring data of, a minimum of 6 h in duration, and the presence of a 6 month Glasgow Outcome Scale -Extended (GOSE) score. ⋯ Extreme impairment in cerebrovascular reactivity is seen during concurrent episodes of elevated ICP and low PbtO2. However, the majority of the deranged cerebral physiology seen during the acute ICU phase is impairment in cerebrovascular reactivity, with most impairment occurring in the presence of normal PbtO2 levels. Measures of cerebrovascular reactivity appear to display the most consistent associations with global outcome in TBI, compared with ICP and PbtO2.