The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of the rubrospinal pathway and the ascending components of the dorsal column for overground locomotion in adult, unrestrained rats. The dorsal column (excluding the corticospinal tract), the rubrospinal tract or both were damaged unilaterally in rats at the level of the upper cervical spinal cord. Behavioural analysis consisted of skilled locomotion (an evaluation of footslips during ladder walking), a paw usage task and the assessment of ground reaction forces during unrestrained locomotion. All lesioned animals used the forepaw ipsilateral to the lesions less while rearing. Animals with dorsal column injuries used the forelimb contralateral to the spinal injury significantly more while rearing compared with uninjured animals. All lesioned animals produced more footfalls while crossing the ladder compared with uninjured animals. All injuries, regardless of the pathway affected, resulted in significant alterations in body weight support and reduced braking forces from the forelimb ipsilateral to the injury during overground locomotion. Animals typically bore less weight on the hindlimb ipsilateral to the lesion compared with the hindlimb contralateral to the spinal injury. Taken together with previously published work, our data indicate that the rubrospinal and dorsal column pathways are important for forelimb support while rearing and for skilled locomotion. Additionally, the ascending dorsal column pathways and the rubrospinal tract play a role during flat surface overground locomotion and combined damage to these pathways does not alter the acquired gait.
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Cureus
November 2024
Neurology, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, Arkansas, USA.
A 40-year-old male patient with no significant past history presented to the emergency room with bilateral upper and lower extremity numbness and difficulty walking for three weeks. MRI of the thoracic spine revealed cord signal abnormalities in the dorsal columns consistent with selective degeneration. This was congruent with the patient's presentation and symptoms of myelopathy with dorsal column involvement along with peripheral polyneuropathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPain Manag
December 2024
Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Bambino Gesù Childrens' Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most common cause for diabetic foot complications, including diabetic ulcers, Charcot arthropathy, and lower limb amputations. Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is a safe and effective treatment used for pain reduction in neuropathic/nociceptive pain conditions; the most common stimulation modalities used for the management of painful diabetic neuropathy were conventional paresthesia-based and high-frequency SCS, which stimulate the A beta fibers in the dorsal column of the spinal cord. Differential Target Multiplexed (DTM) SCS is a novel paresthesia-free stimulation technique targeting the supportive glial cells in the nervous system, modulating glial cells and neurons with a rebalance of their interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFiScience
December 2024
Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
Skilled forelimb patterning is regulated by the corticospinal tract (CST) with support from brainstem regions. When the CST is lesioned, there is a loss of forelimb function; however, if indirect pathways remain intact, rehabilitative training can facilitate recovery. Following spinal cord injury, rehabilitation is thought to enhance the reorganization and plasticity of spared supraspinal-propriospinal circuits, aiding functional recovery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Gastroenterol
December 2024
Department of Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Kochi Hospital, Hadaminami-Machi, Kochi City, Kochi, 780-8562, Japan.
Background: Direct measurement of portal venous pressure (PVP) is invasive, so the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is commonly measured to evaluate portal hypertension (PH). HVPG is the gold standard for estimating PVP but few reports have covered standardized measurement techniques.
Methods: This study validated standardized techniques for PVP measurement.
Cureus
November 2024
Stroke Medicine, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, London, GBR.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a prevalent condition that can lead to serious neurological disorders, including subacute combined degeneration (SCD) of the spinal cord, which can result in lasting damage if not promptly treated. This report discusses a unique case of a 53-year-old female patient who presented with a one-week history of gait instability and falls, ultimately diagnosed with SCD due to severe vitamin B12 deficiency. Notably, the patient exhibited an atypical presentation, lacking classic symptoms such as paraesthesia and hematologic abnormalities, which often accompany B12 deficiency.
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