Different Levels Of Spinal Cord Research Articles

A systematic review with meta-analysis of the StartReact effect on motor responses in stroke survivors and healthy individuals.

Control of limb movements may be impaired after stroke due to the loss of connectivity between the cerebral cortex and spinal cord. A notion to improve motor function in stroke survivors is to use alternate motor fibers, such as the reticulospinal tract (RST), which originate from the brainstem and terminate at different levels of spinal cord. One way of targeting the RST is to use a "StartReact" protocol to foster premature release of a preplanned movement in response to a startling stimulus. Our aim was to find support for the preservation of such StartReact effect in stroke survivors. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis of literature published in English up to September 2020, to explore differences in motor responses to startling stimuli in StartReact effects. Protocol of the study was registered (PROSPERO Registration No. CRD42020191581). PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Science Direct were searched for relevant literature. The meta-analysis contained six studies involving a total of 151 stroke and healthy participants. Muscle onset latency data were extracted from the qualifying studies and compared using RevMan. StartReact effect was present in both stroke and healthy groups, represented by shortened muscle onset latency when startling stimulus was present. There was considerable heterogeneity of the outcome measures, which was attributed to the range of motor impairments among stroke survivors and methodologies used. Our findings support the notion of preservation of preprogramming ability and suitability of RST and StartReact effect for motor rehabilitation following stroke.

The expression of ornithine decarboxylase antizyme mRNA and protein in rat motoneurons

The distribution of ornithine decarboxylase antizyme messenger ribonucleic acid (AZ mRNA) and AZ-like immunoreactivity (LI) was studied in the brainstem and spinal cord motoneurons and in the extracular and triceps surae muscles of rat. In situ hybridization showed AZ mRNA in the gray matter of the spinal cord at different levels of spinal cord with highest AZ mRNA levels in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. No apparent changes in AZ mRNA contents were seen after unilateral transection of the sciatic nerve in lumbar motoneurons. AZ-immunoreactive (IR) motoneurons were observed in the nucleus of the VI cranial nerve and in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. These motoneurons also showed ornithine decarboxylase (ODC)-LI. Subcellularly, AZ-LI was observed both in the nuclei and cytoplasm of labeled motoneurons. Heavily stained AZ-IR nerve fibers and myoneural junctions were observed among muscle fibers in different muscles. In addition, the nuclei of muscle fibers showed AZ-LI.

On the purpose of selective innervation of guinea‐pig superior cervical ganglion cells.

Preganglionic axons arising from different levels of the mammalian spinal cord make preferential connexions with different classes of superior cervical ganglion cells (Langley, 1892, 1900; Njå & Purves, 1977a). For example, preganglionic axons from the first thoracic segment (T1) make relatively strong connexions with ganglion cells activating end-organs of the eye; conversely, axons arising from T4 selectively innervate ganglion cells projecting to the ear. In the present work we have asked whether this selectivity reflects the function of the pre- and post-synaptic cells, and aspect of their respective positions, or some other criterion. 1. End-organs with different functions at the same locus (the eye) respond to stimulation of the same ventral roots; end-organs of a single modality (hairs or blood vessels) at different positions, however, tend to be activated by different spinal segments. Thus the segmental innervation of ganglion cells is correlated with the position rather than the function of post-ganglionic targets. 2. The role of target position in ganglion cell innervation was examined directly by recording from neurones sending axons to different destinations. Superior cervical ganglion cells running dorso-medially in a spinal nerve receive, on average, innervation from more caudal segments than cells projecting ventro-laterally. 3. These selective connexions do not depend on intraganglionic cell position: neurones located at different points along the major axes of the superior cervical ganglion receive, on average, the same segmental innervation. In accord with this observation, retrogradely labelled neurones innervating a particular target such as the eye or ear are widely and randomly distributed within a large portion of the ganglion. Thus the importance of post-ganglionic target position in ganglion cell innervation is not simply a reflexion of ganglionic topography. 4. We conclude that one purpose of the selective connexions in the superior cervical ganglion is to bring together preganglionic axons arising from different levels of the spinal cord and ganglion cells whose axons innervate particular regions of the superior cervical territory.

Clinical Application of Somatosensory Cerebral Evoked Response for the Localization and the Level Diagnosis of Neuronal Lesions

A new SER recording system using the bilateral simultaneous peripheral nerve stimulation on cervical, thoracic and lumbar segments was found to be helpful as a diagnostic aid for the localization and the level diagnosis of sensory neuronal lesions including peripheral nerves. SER abnormalities were observed in 32 (76.2%) of the 42 cases with cerebrovascular disease, in 11 (64.7%) of the 17 cases with spinal cord lesions and 12 (75.0%) of the 16 cases with peripheral nerve lesions. As an interesting finding, marked SER abnormalities corresponding with the level and the distribution of the lesions were observed in cases with spinal cord tumor, myelopathy and polyneuropathy. In a case with recurrent myelitis, lesions of different levels of spinal cord were suggested from the SER changes. The recording system gives also valuable information about chronological modifications of the lesions, and may reveal subclinical neuronal damage in a certain neurological disorder.