Neurorehabilitation and neural repair
-
Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Apr 2020
5-HT7 Receptor Inhibition Transiently Improves Respiratory Function Following Daily Acute Intermittent Hypercapnic-Hypoxia in Rats With Chronic Midcervical Spinal Cord Contusion.
Background. Intermittent hypoxia can induce respiratory neuroplasticity to enhance respiratory motor outputs following hypoxic treatment. This type of respiratory neuroplasticity is primarily mediated by the activation of Gq-protein-coupled 5-HT2 receptors and constrained by Gs-protein-coupled 5-HT7 receptors. ⋯ Conclusions. These results suggest that inhibiting the 5-HT7 receptor can transiently improve daily intermittent hypercapnic-hypoxia-induced tidal volume increase in midcervical spinal contused animals. Therefore, combining pharmacological treatment with rehabilitative intermittent hypercapnic-hypoxia training may be an effective strategy for synergistically enhancing respiratory neuroplasticity to improve respiratory function following chronic cervical spinal cord injury.
-
Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Mar 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialAn Exploratory Randomized Trial of Physical Therapy for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.
Background. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of taxane treatment and cannot currently be prevented or adequately treated. Physical therapy is often used for neural rehabilitation following injury but has not been evaluated in this patient population. ⋯ Conclusion. Physical therapy home program may improve CIPN pain in the upper extremity for patients with breast cancer, and general exercise throughout chemotherapy treatment was observed to have correlated to preservation of sensory function. Further research is required to confirm the impact of a physical therapy home program on CIPN symptoms.
-
Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Mar 2020
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Rehabilitative Training Enhances Motor Recovery After Bilateral Spinal Cord Injury to Cervical Forelimb Motor Pools.
Closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with rehabilitative training has emerged as a strategy to enhance recovery after neurological injury. Previous studies demonstrate that brief bursts of closed-loop VNS paired with rehabilitative training substantially improve recovery of forelimb motor function in models of unilateral and bilateral contusive spinal cord injury (SCI) at spinal level C5/6. While these findings provide initial evidence of the utility of VNS for SCI, the injury model used in these studies spares the majority of alpha motor neurons originating in C7-T1 that innervate distal forelimb muscles. ⋯ VNS paired with rehabilitative training significantly improved recovery of volitional forelimb strength compared to equivalent rehabilitative training without VNS. Additionally, VNS-dependent enhancement of recovery generalized to 2 similar, but untrained, forelimb tasks. These findings indicate that damage to alpha motor neurons does not prevent VNS-dependent enhancement of recovery and provides additional evidence to support the evaluation of closed-loop VNS paired with rehabilitation in patients with incomplete cervical SCI.
-
Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Oct 2019
ReviewNeuropathic Pain in Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: Evidence for Exercise in Treatment.
One in 2 Canadians is expected to acquire cancer in their lifetime. Many cancers, including breast, ovarian, and lung cancer, are treated using taxane chemotherapy with curative intent. ⋯ The pathophysiology of TIPN is still unknown but likely involves multiple mechanisms, including microtubule impairment, neuroimmune and inflammatory changes, ion channel remodeling, impaired mitochondrial function, and genetic predisposition. This review highlights current theories on the pathophysiology for TIPN, the cellular responses thought to maintain neuropathic pain, and the growing support for exercise in the treatment and prevention of peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain in both animal and human models.
-
Neurorehabil Neural Repair · Oct 2019
A Revised Motor Activity Log Following Rasch Validation (Rasch-Based MAL-18) and Consensus Methods in Chronic Stroke and Multiple Sclerosis.
Objectives. To derive a shorter version of the Motor Activity Log Quality-of-Movement Scale (MAL-28) with enhanced content and construct validity. Design. ⋯ Conclusions. Content and construct validity are established for Rasch-based MAL-18 for chronic stages of stroke and MS. A Rasch-based conversion table enables clinical use of the MAL-18.