Changes in Noradrenergic Synthesis and Dopamine Beta-Hydroxylase Activity in Response to Oxidative Stress after Iron-induced Brain Injury.

Noradrenaline (NA) levels are altered during the first hours and several days after cortical injury. NA modulates motor functional recovery. The present study investigated whether iron-induced cortical injury modulated noradrenergic synthesis and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity in response to oxidative stress in the brain cortex, pons and cerebellum of the rat.

Alpha-adrenergic receptor activation reinstates motor deficits in rats recovering from cortical injury.

Norepinephrine plays an important role in motor functional recovery after a brain injury caused by ferrous chloride. Inhibition of norepinephrine release by clonidine is correlated with motor deficits after motor cortex injury. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of α-adrenergic receptors in the restoration of motor deficits in recovering rats after brain damage.

Glutamate, Glutamine, GABA and Oxidative Products in the Pons Following Cortical Injury and Their Role in Motor Functional Recovery.

Brain injury leads to an excitatory phase followed by an inhibitory phase in the brain. The clinical sequelae caused by cerebral injury seem to be a response to remote functional inhibition of cerebral nuclei located far from the motor cortex but anatomically related to the injury site. It appears that such functional inhibition is mediated by an increase in lipid peroxidation (LP).

Involvement of the Auditory Pathway in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7.

Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a mutation in the ATXN7 gene. The involvement of the brainstem auditory pathway in pathogenesis of this disease has not been systematically assessed.

Aim: To determine involvement of the brainstem auditory pathway in SCA7 patients and its relationship to clinical features of the disease.

Effects of Physical Rehabilitation in Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7.

Today, neurorehabilitation has become in a widely used therapeutic approach in spinocerebellar ataxias; however, there are scarce powerful clinical studies supporting this notion, and these studies require extension to other specific SCA subtypes in order to be able to form conclusions concerning its beneficial effects. Therefore, in this study, we perform for the first time a case-control pilot randomized, single-blinded, cross-sectional, and observational study to evaluate the effects of physical neurorehabilitation on the clinical and biochemical features of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) in 18 patients diagnosed with SCA7. In agreement with the exercise regimen, the participants were assigned to groups as follows: (a) the intensive training group, (b) the moderate training group, and (c) the non-training group (control group).