Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2014
Effect of combined treadmill training and magnetic stimulation on spasticity and gait impairments following cervical spinal cord injury (C-SCI).
Spasticity and gait impairments are two common disabilities after cervical spinal cord injury (C-SCI). In this study, we tested the therapeutic effects of early treadmill locomotor training (Tm) initiated at postoperative (PO) day 8 and continued for 6 weeks with injury site transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMSsc) on spasticity and gait impairments after low C6/7 moderate contusion C-SCI in a rat model. The combined treatment group (Tm+TMSsc) showed the most robust decreases in velocity-dependent ankle torques and triceps surae electromyography burst amplitudes that were time locked to the initial phase of lengthening, as well as the most improvement in limb coordination quantitated using three-dimensional kinematics and CatWalk gait analyses, compared to the control or single-treatment groups. ⋯ Further, we propose that locomotor exercise in the setting of C-SCI may decrease aspects of the spontaneous maladaptive segmental and descending plasticity. Accordingly, TMSsc treatment is characterized as an adjuvant stimulation that may further enhance this capacity. These data are the first to suggest that a combination of Tm and TMSsc across the injury site can be an effective treatment modality for C-SCI-induced spasticity and gait impairments and provided a pre-clinical demonstration for feasibility and efficacy of early TMSsc intervention after C-SCI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2014
Restraints and peripheral nerve injuries in adult victims of motor vehicle crashes.
The pattern of injuries in restrained victims of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) remains an issue of debate. We investigated the association of peripheral nerve injuries with the use of protective devices (seat belt and air bag) during MVCs. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 384,539 adult MVC victims who were registered in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) between 2009 and 2011. ⋯ The location of the patient in the vehicle did not seem to affect the risk of peripheral nerve injury, with drivers demonstrating no association with nerve injuries (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.87-1.02) in comparison with non-drivers. On the contrary, alcohol consumption was associated with increased incidence of peripheral nerve injuries (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01-1.20). In summary, restraint use was associated with decreased risk of peripheral nerve injury in MVC victims, after controlling for confounders.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Jun 2014
Methylene Blue is Neuroprotective against mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Methylene blue (MB) has known energy-enhancing and antioxidant properties. This study tested the hypothesis that MB treatment reduces lesion volume and behavioral deficits in a rat model of mild TBI. ⋯ Smaller numbers of dark-stained Nissl cells and Fluoro-Jade(®) positive cells were observed in the MB-treated group than in vehicle-treated animals 14 days post-TBI. In conclusion, MB treatment minimized lesion volume, behavioral deficits, and neuronal degeneration following mild TBI. MB is already approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat a number of indications, likely expediting future clinical trials in TBI.