Activity-dependent plasticity in spinal cord injury

• Published in: Journal of rehabilitation research and development Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 229 - 240
• Main Authors: Lynskey, James V, Belanger, Adam, Jung, Ranu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Department of Veterans Affairs 01-01-2008; Superintendent of Documents
• Subjects: Animals; Care and treatment; Early intervention; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Exercise Therapy; Gene expression; Humans; Methods; Nervous system; Neural stimulation; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Patient outcomes; Physical fitness; Physical therapy; Plasticity; Recovery of Function; Rodents; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Injuries - rehabilitation; Studies; Therapeutics, Physiological
• ISSN: 0748-7711; 1938-1352
• DOI: 10.1682/JRRD.2007.03.0047

The adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is capable of considerable plasticity, both in health and disease. After spinal neurotrauma, the degrees and extent of neuroplasticity and recovery depend on multiple factors, including the level and extent of injury, postinjury medical and surgical care, and rehabilitative interventions. Rehabilitation strategies focus less on repairing lost connections and more on influencing CNS plasticity for regaining function. Current evidence indicates that strategies for rehabilitation, including passive exercise, active exercise with some voluntary control, and use of neuroprostheses, can enhance sensorimotor recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) by promoting adaptive structural and functional plasticity while mitigating maladaptive changes at multiple levels of the neuraxis. In this review, we will discuss CNS plasticity that occurs both spontaneously after SCI and in response to rehabilitative therapies.