Lower motor neuron (LMN) damage results in denervation of the associated muscle targets and is a significant yet under-appreciated component of spinal cord injury (SCI). Denervated muscle undergoes a progressive degeneration and fibro-fatty infiltration that eventually renders the muscle non-viable unless reinnervated within a limited time window. The distal nerve deprived of axons also undergoes degeneration and fibrosis making it less receptive to axons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe have demonstrated in canines that somatic nerve transfer to vesical branches of the inferior hypogastric plexus (IHP) can be used for bladder reinnervation after spinal root injury. Yet, the complex anatomy of the IHP hinders the clinical application of this repair strategy. Here, using human cadavers, we clarify the spatial relationships of the vesical branches of the IHP and nearby pelvic ganglia, with the ureteral orifice of the bladder.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
June 2024
In pilot work, we showed that somatic nerve transfers can restore motor function in long-term decentralized dogs. We continue to explore the effectiveness of motor reinnervation in 30 female dogs. After anesthesia, 12 underwent bilateral transection of coccygeal and sacral (S) spinal roots, dorsal roots of lumbar (L)7, and hypogastric nerves.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Cervical spinal cord injury results in devastating loss of function. Nerve transfers can restore functional use of the hand, the highest priority function in this population to gain independence. Transfer of radial nerve branches innervating the supinator to the posterior interosseous nerve (SUP-PIN) has become a primary intervention for the recovery of hand opening, but few outcome reports exist to date.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOper Neurosurg (Hagerstown)
November 2023
Background And Objectives: Spastic equinovarus foot (SEF) is a common complication of stroke and other upper motor neuron injuries. It is characterized by a plantigrade and inverted foot, often with toe curling, causing significant disability from pain, gait, and balance difficulties. Management includes physical therapy, antispasticity drugs, orthoses, chemical neurolysis, or botulinum toxin, all of which may be insufficient, sedating, or transient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOper Neurosurg (Hagerstown)
December 2023
Background And Objectives: Cervical spinal cord injuries (SCI) result in severe loss of function and independence. Nerve transfers have become a powerful method for restoring upper extremity function, the most critical missing function desired by this patient population. Recovery of active elbow extension allows for expansion of one's workspace to reach for objects and stabilizes control at the elbow joint.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdult tissue stem cells contribute to tissue homeostasis and repair but the long-lived neurons in the human adult cerebral cortex are not replaced, despite evidence for a limited regenerative response. However, the adult cortex contains a population of proliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). We examined the capacity of rat cortical OPCs to be re-specified to a neuronal lineage both and .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
October 2023
Very little is known about the physiological role of nicotinic receptors in canine bladders, although functional nicotinic receptors have been reported in bladders of many species. Utilizing in vitro methods, we evaluated nicotinic receptors mediating bladder function in dogs: control (9 female and 11 male normal controls, 5 sham operated), Decentralized (9 females, decentralized 6-21 mo), and obturator-to-pelvic nerve transfer reinnervated (ObNT-Reinn; 9 females; decentralized 9-13 mo, then reinnervated with 8-12 mo recovery). Muscle strips were collected, mucosa-denuded, and mounted in muscle baths before incubation with neurotransmitter antagonists, and contractions to the nicotinic receptor agonist epibatidine were determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeripheral neuroregenerative research and therapeutic options are expanding exponentially. With this expansion comes an increasing need to reliably evaluate and quantify nerve health. Valid and responsive measures of the nerve status are essential for both clinical and research purposes for diagnosis, longitudinal follow-up, and monitoring the impact of any intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeripheral neuroregeneration research and therapeutic options are expanding exponentially. With this expansion comes an increasing need to reliably evaluate and quantify nerve health. Valid and responsive measures that can serve as biomarkers of the nerve status are essential for both clinical and research purposes for diagnosis, longitudinal follow-up, and monitoring the impact of any intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Spastic equinovarus foot (SEF) is a common dysfunctional foot posture after stroke that impairs balance and mobility. Selective tibial neurotomy (STN) is a simple but underutilized surgical option that can effectively address critical aspects of SEF and thereby provide enduring quality of life gains. There are few studies that examine both functional outcomes and patient satisfaction with this treatment option.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNerve transfers have become a powerful intervention to restore function following devastating paralyzing injuries. A major limitation to peripheral nerve repair and reconstructive strategies is the progressive, fibrotic degeneration of the distal nerve and denervated muscle, eventually precluding recovery of these targets and thus defining a time window within which reinnervation must occur. One proven strategy in the clinic has been the sacrifice and transfer of an adjacent distal motor nerve to provide axons to occupy, and thus preserve (or "babysit"), the target muscle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOper Neurosurg (Hagerstown)
October 2021
Background: Cervical spinal cord injuries result in a severe loss of function and independence. The primary goal for these patients is the restoration of hand function. Nerve transfers have recently become a powerful intervention to restore the ability to grasp and release objects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chondromas are benign cartilaginous tumors that are rarely seen in the brain.
Observations: A 58-year-old woman had undergone routine brain imaging after a motor vehicle accident and was incidentally found to have a right falcine lesion. Contrast magnetic resonance imaging showed a mostly nonenhancing mass with discontinuous rim enhancement.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in devastating effects on function and quality of life. The majority of SCIs occur in the cervical region with restoration of arm and hand function being the highest priority by patients. Current restoration strategies rely on maximizing and optimally redistributing residual muscle functions that remain under volitional control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCyclophilin-D (Cyp-D) is a mitochondrial matrix peptidyl-prolyl isomerase. Because cyclophilins can regulate nuclear gene expression, we examined whether Cyp-D could regulate mitochondrial gene expression. We demonstrated in HEK 293T cells that transfected Cyp-D interacts with mitochondrial transcription factors B1 and B2 (TFB2M) but not with mitochondrial transcription factor A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is little cell replacement following neurological injury, limiting the regenerative response of the CNS. Progress in understanding the biology of neural stem cells has raised interest in using stem cells for replacing neurons lost to injury or to disease. Stem cell therapy may also have a role in rebuilding deficient neural circuitry underlying mood disorders, epilepsy, and pain modulation among other roles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA culture collection of cyanobacteria has been established at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This collection includes marine, terrestrial, and freshwater strains and contains representatives of the five orders of cyanobacteria: Chroococcales, Pleurocapsales, Oscillatoriales, Nostocales, and Stigonematales. In this study, extracts from a subset of 61 strains, 16 marine and 45 freshwater/terrestrial, were evaluated against three current protease targets, i.
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