Restorative neurology and neuroscience
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialRobotic-assisted gait training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation in chronic stroke patients: A pilot double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Although robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) is becoming a standard method in stroke rehabilitation, its effect on chronic stroke patients is uncertain. ⋯ This pilot study suggested that anodal tDCS on the leg motor cortex in the impaired hemisphere may facilitate the effect of RAGT on functional ambulation in chronic stroke patients. Larger clinical trials will be needed to confirm the effect of RAGT combined with tDCS in chronic stroke patients based on the present study.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2017
Rehabilitation modality and onset differentially influence whisker sensory hypersensitivity after diffuse traumatic brain injury in the rat.
As rehabilitation strategies advance as therapeutic interventions, the modality and onset of rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury (TBI) are critical to optimize treatment. Our laboratory has detected and characterized a late-onset, long-lasting sensory hypersensitivity to whisker stimulation in diffuse brain-injured rats; a deficit that is comparable to visual or auditory sensory hypersensitivity in humans with an acquired brain injury. ⋯ These data indicate that modality and onset of sensory rehabilitation can differentially influence FPI and sham rats, having a lasting impact on behavioral and stress responses to the WNT, emphasizing the necessity for continued evaluation of modality and onset of rehabilitation after TBI.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2017
Effects of cerebrolysin on nerve growth factor system in the aging rat brain.
Aging is associated with some cognitive decline and enhanced risk of development of neurodegenerative diseases. It is assumed that altered metabolism and functions of neurotrophin systems may underlie these age-related functional and structural modifications. CerebrolysinTM (CBL) is a neuropeptide mixture with neurotrophic effects, which is widely used for the treatment of stroke and traumatic brain injury patients. It is also evident that CBL has an overall beneficial effect and a favorable benefit-risk ratio in patients with dementia. However, the effects of CBL on cognition and brain neurotrophin system in normal aging remain obscure. ⋯ The pro-neuroplastic "antiaging" effects of CBL in the neocortex of old animals were generally related to the NGF rather than the BDNF system.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2017
Diffuse traumatic brain injury in the mouse induces a transient proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in injured white matter tracts.
Injury to the white matter may lead to impaired neuronal signaling and is commonly observed following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although endogenous repair of TBI-induced white matter pathology is limited, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) may be stimulated to proliferate and regenerate functionally myelinating oligodendrocytes. Even though OPCs are present throughout the adult brain, little is known about their proliferative activity following axonal injury caused by TBI. ⋯ These results suggest that traumatic axonal injury in the mouse induces a transient proliferative response of residing OPCs. These proliferating OPCs may replace dead oligodendrocytes and contribute to remyelination, which needs evaluation in future studies.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2017
SDF-1 overexpression by mesenchymal stem cells enhances GAP-43-positive axonal growth following spinal cord injury.
Utilizing genetic overexpression of trophic molecules in cell populations has been a promising strategy to develop cell replacement therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI). Over-expressing the chemokine, stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1α), which has chemotactic effects on many cells of the nervous system, offers a promising strategy to promote axonal regrowth following SCI. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of human SDF-1α, when overexpressed by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), on axonal growth and motor behavior in a contusive rat model of SCI. ⋯ The results from these experiments support the potential role for utilizing SDF-1α as a treatment for enhancing growth and regeneration of axons after traumatic SCI.