Role and modulation of various spinal pathways for human upper limb control in different gravity conditions.

Humans can perform movements in various physical environments and positions (corresponding to different experienced gravity), requiring the interaction of the musculoskeletal system, the neural system and the external environment. The neural system is itself comprised of several interactive components, from the brain mainly conducting motor planning, to the spinal cord (SC) implementing its own motor control centres through sensory reflexes. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether similar movements in various environmental dynamics necessitate adapting modulation at the brain level, correcting modulation at the spinal level, or both.

Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation augments walking after spinal cord injury.

A spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts the neuronal projections from the brain to the region of the spinal cord that produces walking, leading to various degrees of paralysis. Here, we aimed to identify brain regions that steer the recovery of walking after incomplete SCI and that could be targeted to augment this recovery. To uncover these regions, we constructed a space-time brain-wide atlas of transcriptionally active and spinal cord-projecting neurons underlying the recovery of walking after incomplete SCI.

Early intensive rehabilitation reverses locomotor disruption, decrease brain inflammation and induces neuroplasticity following experimental Cerebral Palsy.

Background: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a major cause of motor and cognitive disability in children due to injury to the developing brain. Early intensive sensorimotor rehabilitation has been shown to change brain structure and reduce CP symptoms severity. We combined environmental enrichment (EE) and treadmill training (TT) to observe the effects of a one-week program of sensorimotor stimulation (EETT) in animals exposed to a CP model and explored possible mechanisms involved in the functional recovery.