The purpose of this study was to determine if robotic-assisted treadmill training improved hindlimb stepping in complete spinal cord transected (ST) rats. In addition, we examined whether chronic quipazine treatment would enhance the effectiveness of robotic-assisted training. Hindlimb stepping was examined in four groups of ST rats: trained + quipazine; ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Glucocorticosteroids are widely used in medicine and have shown unchallenged therapeutic potential in several chronic inflammatory and other diseases. They are also widely used in sports medicine for the treatment of conditions such as asthma and acute injuries. In fact, as banned substances, most requests for therapeutic ...

OBJECTIVE: The spinal cord is capable of activity-dependent plasticity, but the extent of its participation in human motor learning is not known. Here, we tested the hypothesis that acquisition of a locomotor-related skill modulates the pathway of the H-reflex, a measure of spinal cord excitability that is susceptible to plastic ...

BACKGROUND: Intelligence was assessed in a group of 74 people with head injury, 16 years after injury (mean 16.77 years; range 10-32 years), and compared with their performance when assessed at an early stage in recovery (mean 1.05 years). AIMS: To confirm the presence of long-term impairment relative to estimates ...

Environmental enrichment and exercise may be neuroprotective or promote recovery after different forms of CNS injury. Here, we tested the possible effects of moderate environmental enrichment and voluntary exercise on the outcome of incomplete spinal cord injury in rats. We provided rats in standard cages with basic environmental enrichment (carton ...

OBJECTIVES: To compare lower-limb overuse injury and low back pain incidence among cadets with and without limb length inequality (LLI) over 1 year of military training and athletic participation. METHODS: A total of 1,100 cadets were screened for LLIs; 126 of 1,100 were identified to have a LLI of > ...

Repeated measures training intervention. To evaluate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)-induced resistance exercise therapy on lower extremity arterial health in individuals with chronic, complete spinal cord injury (SCI). We define "arterial health" using three surrogate markers: (a) resting diameter, (b) flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and (c) arterial range. Department ...

BACKGROUND: The practice of warming up prior to exercise is advocated in injury prevention programs, but this is based on limited clinical evidence. It is hypothesised that warming up will reduce the number of injuries sustained during physical activity. METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken. Relevant studies were identified by ...

Prospective urodynamic investigation before and after intravesical resiniferatoxin instillation treatment. To evaluate the effectiveness of intravesical resiniferatoxin instillation for the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), using conventional and ice provocative urodynamic studies to monitor the activity of the unmyelinated C-fiber. Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Yonsei Rehabilitation Hospital, Seoul, Korea. ...

Proprioceptive control is considered important for spinal stability and prevention of injury. However there is evidence that proprioceptive structures, that are reflexive and viscoelastic, are challenged by commonly adopted 'slouched' postures. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of such postures on proprioceptive control. The reliability of ...

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a form of pathologic bone that often occurs in the elbow after a substantial traumatic injury and can complicate the functional outcome of the affected upper extremity. This article is designed to help the treating therapist better understand the complex process of HO. The pathophysiology, causes, ...

STUDY DESIGN: In this retrospective radiography study, we analyzed curve shape and direction in scoliosis secondary to neuromuscular disease. OBJECTIVE: To determine if in different types of neuromuscular scoliosis a predominant curve pattern can be found and if similarities with idiopathic scoliosis exist. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: To the authors' ...

Prospective experimental. The aim of this study was to develop a quantitative sensory test (QST) that could be used for assessing the level and the density (degree of impairment) of spinal cord injury (SCI) and for monitoring neurological changes in patients with SCI. National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, ...

Review of publications. To assess the level of physical capacity (peak oxygen uptake, peak power output, muscle strength of the upper extremity and respiratory function) in wheelchair-dependent persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Pubmed (Medline) search of publications from 1980 onwards. ...

Voluntary physical activity and exercise training can favorably influence brain plasticity by facilitating neurogenerative, neuroadaptive, and neuroprotective processes. At least some of the processes are mediated by neurotrophic factors. Motor skill training and regular exercise enhance executive functions of cognition and some types of learning, including motor learning in the ...

Pepper spray is defined as a non-lethal agent used in riot control and personal self-defense. Oleoresin capsicum (OC), derived from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus, commonly referred to as hot peppers or chilies, is the active agent used in many of these defense sprays. Although generally assumed ...

Single trial using matched subjects under tightly-controlled experimental conditions. Humans with spinal-cord injury have a reduced ability to dissipate heat. The current project examined the possibility that, in such people, an elevated ventilatory response (panting) may act as a supplementary avenue for heat loss. Australia, New South Wales. Breathing frequency ...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of hamstring muscle injuries in professional rugby union is high, but evidence-based information on risk factors and injury-prevention strategies in this sport is limited. PURPOSE: To define the incidence, severity, and risk factors associated with hamstring muscle injuries in professional rugby union and to determine whether the ...

Underphysiologic conditions, brain intracellular pH (pH(i)) is maintained at 7.03. Rebound brain intracellular alkalosis has been observed in experimental models and adult stroke after hypoxia/ischemia (HI). In term infants with neonatal encephalopathy (NE), an association exists between the magnitude of brain alkalosis and neurodevelopmental outcome, and there is increasing evidence ...

Controlled, cross-sectional, observational. To investigate whether quantitative sensory testing (QST) is able to reveal subclinical deficits at the neurological level of lesion in subjects with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Imperial College London, UK. QST and clinical assessments were carried out on ...

Appropriate nutrition is an essential prerequisite for effective improvement of athletic performance, conditioning, recovery from fatigue after exercise, and avoidance of injury. Nutritional supplements containing carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals have been widely used in various sporting fields to provide a boost to the recommended daily allowance. In addition, several ...

Exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury is well understood as the product of unfamiliar or strenuous physical activity. Eccentric or lengthening actions are primarily responsible for inducing injury, which subsequently leads to a variety of signs and symptoms. Although significant research supports this finding, most observations are specific to untrained individuals. In ...

Returning the injured worker to his previous occupation can be a difficult and complex rehabilitation process. The goal of standard stabilization exercises (SSE) is to facilitate the active system for improved dynamic spinal stability. Improving dynamic spinal stability can decrease the forces placed on the intervertebral joints, which minimizes the ...

Peripheral nerves injuries are unfortunately common. Neuropathy may result from trauma, entrapment, metabolic or hereditary disturbances, inflammatory processes, iatrogenic injury from medical implants, and several other causes. We set out to create a large normative database for radial and dorsal ulnar cutaneous (DUC) sensory studies. Because comparison between two nerves ...

Hyper-reflexia, measured as a decrease of low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex, is known to occur in both humans and animals after spinal cord injury (SCI). Previous studies have shown that passive exercise for 3 months could be used to restore low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex after SCI. To ...

Rock climbing, whether practiced in nature on cliffs and boulders or indoors on walls made of resin and wood, has grown in popularity in recent years. An estimated five million people participate in "rocking" at least three times a year. Climbing places unique demands on the upper extremity, especially the ...

The purpose of this study was to compare spontaneous functional recovery after different spinal motor tract lesions in the rat spinal cord using three methods of analysis, the BBB, the rope test, and the CatWalk. We transected the dorsal corticospinal tract (CSTx) or the rubrospinal tract (RSTx) or the complete ...

BACKGROUND: Rapid induction of profound hypothermic arrest (suspended animation) can provide valuable time for the repair of complex injuries and improve survival. The optimal rate for re-warming from a state of profound hypothermia is unknown. This experiment was designed to test the impact of different warming rates on outcome in ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare excitabilities of spinal stretch reflex among clinically complete spinal cord injury (SCI), incomplete SCI, elderly healthy, and young healthy subjects. DESIGN: Case comparison. SETTING: Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Volunteer sample of 12 complete SCI, 10 incomplete SCI, 10 elderly, and 11 young subjects. INTERVENTION: Mechanically induced stretch reflex, ...

Exercise has been found to impact molecular systems important for maintaining neural function and plasticity. A characteristic finding for the effects of exercise in the brain and spinal cord has been the up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This review focuses on the ability of exercise to impact brain circuitry ...

Hyperglycemia aggravates ischemic brain injury, possibly due to the activation of signaling pathways involving reactive oxygen species, Src and mitogen-activated protein kinases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the spin trap agent alpha-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN), the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2 and the MEK1-inhibitor U0126 ...

The aim of this study is to elucidate detailed anatomy of the lower lacrimal canaliculus relative to epicanthoplasty. Nine lower eyelids of Korean adult cadavers were studied. Serial sagittal sections of the medial side of the lower eyelids including canaliculi were made, and the specimens were observed under a light ...

Severe burns are typically followed by a hypermetabolic response that lasts for at least 9-12 months post-injury. The endocrine status is also markedly altered with an initial and then sustained increase in proinflammatory 'stress' hormones such as cortisol and other glucocorticoids, and catecholamines including epinephrine and norepinephrine by the adrenal ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the number of sites of spinal dysfunction and a range of measures of cognitive processing. METHODS: This double-blind, randomized, observational pilot study was performed at a chiropractic college clinical training facility. Thirty volunteers with clinical evidence of cervical ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the success rate of penile vibratory stimulation (PVS) alone with PVS and abdominal electric stimulation (AES). DESIGN: Single-subject trials. SETTING: Outpatient. PARTICIPANT: Man with chronic T3 complete (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grade A) spinal cord injury. Spasticity, Babinski response, anal wink, and bulbocavernosus reflexes were ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a structured warm-up program in reducing the occurrence of knee and ankle injuries in teenage handball players. DESIGN: Block randomized controlled trial with a sample size designed to achieve 90% power with [alpha] = 5% to detect a relative risk (RR) reduction of 50%. ...

Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) increases during many tasks and has been argued to increase stability and stiffness of the spine. Although several studies have shown a relationship between the IAP increase and spinal stability, it has been impossible to determine whether this augmentation of mechanical support for the spine is due ...

This study investigated the effects of controlled breathing techniques and ventilatory and upper extremity muscle exercise on cardiopulmonary and metabolic functions and exercise tolerance in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The design of the study was prospective and was a before-after trial. Twenty patients with SCI were included in ...

Military activities are often considered more dangerous than civilian work, especially in crisis situations, but peacetime or even peacekeeping conditions have seldom been analyzed in this respect. According to the compensation statistics of the Finnish State Treasury, in 2001, 80% of injuries among military personnel were caused by accidents at ...

BACKGROUND: Some experimental whiplash investigations using human volunteers and full-body cadavers reported thoracic ramping, characterized by superior translation and extension rotation of the cervico-thoracic junction. The effect of this phenomenon on cervical spinal kinematics has not been quantitatively determined. METHODS: A comprehensively validated computational model exercised in 2.7 m/s rear ...

OBJECTIVE: To study the longitudinal relation between physical capacity and wheelchair skill performance in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) during rehabilitation. DESIGN: Observational prospective cohort study. Measurements were taken 3 times during subjects' rehabilitation. SETTING: Eight rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-seven subjects with SCI. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. ...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces lifetime disability, and no suitable therapy is available to treat victims or to minimze their sufferings. Recently, neurotrophins and compounds acting at melanocortin receptors have been been identified as potential neuroprotective agents. In this investigation, the neuroprotective effects of neurotrophins and melanocortins on the pathophysiology ...

OBJECTIVE: To identify barriers to physical fitness faced by individuals with spinal cord injury preventing them from participating in a physical fitness program. DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, a survey of barriers to exercise was administered to 72 individuals with spinal cord injury. RESULTS: Although 73.6% of the participants expressed ...

CLINICAL QUESTION: Does pre-exercise stretching reduce the incidence of lower limb soft tissue injuries in young adult runners (≤ 35 years old)? CLINICAL BOTTOM LINE: Studies involving young, healthy, male military subjects have failed to demonstrate a preventative effect of pre-exercise stretching on lower limb soft tissue injuries. Future research ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability of the submaximal and peak responses to a treadmill graded exercise test in individuals recovering from traumatic brain injury. DESIGN: A total of 15 individuals (11 men, 4 women; 28.5 +/- 9.2 yrs) with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury admitted into a postacute residential ...

OBJECTIVES: Posterior glottic stenosis (PGS) is a disabling disease commonly induced by endolaryngeal injury from intubation or surgery. Few experiments on PGS prevention, however, have been performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effect of mitomycin C (MMC) on PGS in a randomized, controlled animal study. ...

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Knowledge about the extent of damage with endoscopic cryotherapy is of critical importance before its potential as an ablative therapy is explored. The aims of this study were to evaluate the extent of transmural esophageal necrosis at 48 hours after cryospraying for varying durations, using a ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of training with ergometers on subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the postacute phase. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: A spinal unit at a physical medicine and rehabilitation institute. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one subjects with SCI in the postacute phase as a consecutive sample were chosen on ...

Spinal cord injury is a catastrophic event that immeasurably alters activity and health. Depending on the level and severity of injury, functional and homeostatic decline of many body systems can be anticipated in a large segment of the paralyzed population. The level of physical inactivity and deconditioning imposed by SCI ...

Individuals with spinal cord injury can benefit from regular exercise. Exercise prescription for these individuals is based on the same 4 principles of exercise used for nondisabled individuals. The purpose of this paper is to describe a process by which physical therapists may generate an exercise prescription for individuals with ...