Open AccessDifferences in neuroplasticity after spinal cord injury in varying animal models and humans
Author(s) -
Mallory Filipp,
Benjamin J. Travis,
Stefanie S. Henry,
Emma C Idzikowski,
Sarah A Magnuson,
Megan Yf Loh,
Daniel J. Hellenbrand,
Amgad S. Hanna
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.243694
Subject(s) - spinal cord injury , spinal cord , medicine , neuroplasticity , neuroscience , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychology
Rats have been the primary model to study the process and underlying mechanisms of recovery after spinal cord injury. Two weeks after a severe spinal cord contusion, rats can regain weight-bearing abilities without therapeutic interventions, as assessed by the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor scale. However, many human patients suffer from permanent loss of motor function following spinal cord injury. While rats are the most understood animal model, major differences in sensorimotor pathways between quadrupeds and bipeds need to be considered. Understanding the major differences between the sensorimotor pathways of rats, non-human primates, and humans is a start to improving targets for treatments of human spinal cord injury. This review will discuss the neuroplasticity of the brain and spinal cord after spinal cord injury in rats, non-human primates, and humans. A brief overview of emerging interventions to induce plasticity in humans with spinal cord injury will also be discussed.