Treatment options for spinal cord injuries
Medical experts refer to spinal cord injuries as damage sustained to part of the spinal cord and/ or its nerves. An injury in this area affects the ability of the body to send or receive messages from various parts of the body via the spinal cord. Depending on the level of spinal cord injury, the conduction of neuronal messages such as muscle contraction can be sent to the brain, but below the level of injury, the spinal cord is unable to send messages elsewhere. Such an injury may cause temporary or permanent paralysis. In the articles discussed below, researchers focus on how to lessen the effects of paralysis by stimulating and repairing, through neuronal regrowth, parts of the body affected by spinal cord injuries.
In the article “Corticospinal-motor neuronal plasticity promotes exercises-mediated recovery in humans with spinal cord injury,” researchers Hang Jin Jo and Monica A. Perez aimed to determine if exercise combined with corticospinal-motor stimulation (PCMS) in spinal cord injury patients promotes their recovery. To do this, researchers gathered their data from patients with varying degrees of spinal cord injury levels. Researchers conducted PCMS using TMS and peripheral nerve stimulation as well. Following stimulation, patients were to exercise for a time span of 45 minutes by performing various tasks after which the time they took to complete the task, the amplitude of corticospinal responses, and the maximal voluntary contractions were assessed. Researchers then compared the results of this data to that of a patient that only exercised (sham-PCMS). Researchers found that the combination of exercise with PCMS decreased the time it took for patients to complete the task by 20% whereas maximal voluntary contractions increased by around 50%. These findings suggest a possible treatment option to aid in the recovery of patients suffering from spinal cord injury.
In a news article published by Science Daily, a recent study conducted by Dr. Li and colleagues explored another method to aid in the recovery of patients suffering from a spinal cord injury. This article discusses a recent discovery published in the journal Cell Metabolism. Rather than exploring how simulation can positively affect spinal cord injury patients, Dr. Li and colleagues explored how astrocytic glial cells play a role in the regrowth of cells that the injury impacted. Specifically, astrocytic glial cells play a prominent role in the formation of scar tissue after an injury; this scar tissue then disrupts the ability for neurons to regrow. In essence, astrocytic cells usually inhibit new neuronal growth due to the formation of scar tissue. As the article “New path to neuron regeneration after spinal cord injury” published by ScienceDaily notes, researchers hypothesized that this scar tissue formation may be a reversible process. If the formation of scar tissue by astrocytic cells is reversible, then the regrowth of neuronal cells can take place, thus, possibly enabling the recovery in spinal cord injuries. While studying astrocytic glial cells, the article notes that researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine have discovered that “... glia have a metabolic switch associated with glucose metabolism that when triggered reverses inhibitory effects on growth and promotes axon regeneration” (Jo & Perez, 2020). The discovery of glial cells having a metabolic switch is significant as this is the first time in which there is evidence to support the role of glucose metabolism in the regeneration of neuronal cells important for spinal cord injury recovery. Specifically, these researchers focused their study on the metabolic process of glycolysis. In doing so, they found that “upregulating this pathway alone in glial cells was sufficient to promote axon regeneration” (Jo & Perez, 2020). Although this study used only fly and mouse models, researchers have plans to include large animals in their research to further their study. Such a discovery suggests that there is reason to believe that patients enduring a spinal cord injury will have more recovery options in the near future.
Though these two studies explored different ways in which to approach spinal cord injuries, each compiles compelling evidence to suggest new ways to aid in patients’ recovery. Each article presents hopeful evidence, as the loss of function in spinal cord injuries is devastating and debilitating. As stated above, this type of injury can not only diminish one’s physical abilities due to paralysis, but it can also take a toll on someone mentally as they are not able to function as they did before the injury. The findings of these studies, and other studies on the recovery of spinal cord injuries, can lead to treatment options that could drastically restore the abilities (both physical and mental) of patients.
Works Cited
Jo, H. J., & Perez, M. A. (2020). Corticospinal-motor neuronal plasticity promotes exercise-mediated recovery in humans with spinal cord injury. Brain, 143(5), 1368-1382. doi:10.1093/brain/awaa052
Temple University Health System. "New path to neuron regeneration after spinal cord injury." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 September 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200916113549.htm>.
