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Chronic Spinal Cord Injury (chronic + spinal_cord_injury)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	80%

Selected Abstracts

Indorenate Improves Motor Function in Rats with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

BASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2007
Guadalupe Bravo
Four months after a ninth thoracic vertebrae spinal cord contusion, 29 rats were randomly allocated into two groups: saline solution and indorenate-treated animals with daily doses incremented at weekly intervals. The locomotor performance of all rats was measured by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) rating scale. The results showed that at the end of the treatment, the motor activity of indorenate group was significantly better than that presented by saline solution group. The 80% of indorenate, (against 15% of saline solution) did not show detriment on motor activity. When we analysed the motor activity of rats with basal BBB lower than 10, a significant improvement of motor recovery in indorenate-treated animals was observed. The benefits observed in locomotor function at low doses followed by increasing doses could be associated with pharmacological treatment by indorenate, a well-known 5-HT1A receptor agonist. Our results suggest a potential mechanism by which serotonergic agents may improve motor function in rats with chronic spinal cord injury. [source]

Postinjury estrogen treatment of chronic spinal cord injury improves locomotor function in rats

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 8 2010
Eric A. Sribnick
Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes loss of neurological function and, depending on serverity, may cause paralysis. The only recommended pharmacotherapy for the treatment of SCI is high-dose methylprednisolone, and its use is controversial. We have previously shown that estrogen treatment attenuated cell death, axonal and myelin damage, calpain and caspase activities, and inflammation in acute SCI. The aim of this study was to examine whether posttreatment of SCI with estrogen would improve locomotor function by protecting cells and axons and reducing inflammation during the chronic phase following injury. Moderately severe injury (40 g · cm force) was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats following laminectomy at T10. Three groups of animals were used: sham (laminectomy only), vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide; DMSO)-treated injury group, and estrogen-treated injury group. Animals were treated with 4 mg/kg estrogen at 15 min and 24 hr postnjury, followed by 2 mg/kg estrogen daily for the next 5 days. After treatment, animals were sacrificed at the end of 6 weeks following injury, and 1-cm segments of spinal cord (lesion, rostral to lesion, and caudal to lesion) were removed for biochemical analyses. Estrogen treatment reduced COX-2 activity, blocked nuclear factor-,B translocation, prevented glial reactivity, attenuated neuron death, inhibited activation and activity of calpain and caspase-3, decreased axonal damage, reduced myelin loss in the lesion and penumbra, and improved locomotor function compared with vehicle-treated animals. These findings suggest that estrogen may be useful as a promising therapeutic agent for prevention of damage and improvement of locomotor function in chronic SCI. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Pudendal nerve stimulation evokes reflex bladder contractions in persons with chronic spinal cord injury,,

NEUROUROLOGY AND URODYNAMICS, Issue 7 2007
Paul B. Yoo
Abstract Aims Although electrical stimulation of the pudendal nerve has been shown to evoke reflex micturition-like bladder contractions in both intact and spinalized cats, there is little evidence to suggest that an analogous excitatory reflex exists in humans, particularly those with spinal cord injury (SCI). We present two cases where electrical activation of pudendal nerve afferents was used to evoke excitatory bladder responses. Subjects and Methods A percutaneously placed catheter electrode was used to electrically stimulate the pudendal nerve trunk in two males with SCI. The response was quantified with recorded changes in detrusor pressure and EMG activity of the external anal sphincter. Results In both individuals, frequency specific (f,=,20,50 Hz) activation of the pudendal nerve trunk evoked excitatory bladder contractions that also depended on the stimulus amplitude and bladder volume. Conclusion The results suggest that selective activation of the perineal branches of the pudendal nerve may further augment the excitatory reflex evoked by electrical stimulation. Neurourol. Urodynam. 26:1020,1023, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Oral dantrolene and severe respiratory failure in a patient with chronic spinal cord injury

ANAESTHESIA, Issue 8 2010
M. Javed
Summary Oral dantrolene is used widely for the treatment of spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury. A 60-year-old patient in the rehabilitation phase following cervical spine injury presented with generalised weakness and deteriorating respiratory function, requiring intensive care admission, tracheal intubation and ventilation. He had bilateral basal lung collapse and a raised diaphragm and was on high-dose oral dantrolene. The cessation of dantrolene resulted in a dramatic recovery of respiratory function within two days. High-dose oral dantrolene can cause severe respiratory insufficiency and may present difficulties in the differential diagnosis of respiratory failure in patients with high cervical spinal cord injuries. [source]