Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience - Volume 33, issue 4

Authors: Shen, Cong | Sun, Fang-ling | Zhang, Ru-yi | Zhang, Li | Li, Ya-li | Zhang, Lan | Li, Lin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Purpose: To investigate the effects of 2,3,5,4′ -tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG) on the memory and movement functions and its mechanisms related to synapses and α-synuclein in aged mice. Methods: The memory ability of mice was detected by step-through passive avoidance task. The movement function was measured by the pole test and rotarod test. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the synaptic ultrastructure. Western blotting was applied to measure the expression of synapse-related proteins and α-synuclein. Results: Intragastrical administration of TSG for 3 months significantly improved the memory and movement functions in aged mice. …TSG treatment obviously protected the synaptic ultrastructure and increased the number of synaptic connections in the hippocampal CA1 region and striatum; enhanced the expression of synaptophysin, phosphorylated synapsin I and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), elevated phosphorylated calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (p-CaMKII) expression, and inhibited the overexpression and aggregation of α-synuclein in the hippocampus, striatum and cerebral cortex of aged mice. Conclusion: TSG improved the memory and movement functions in aged mice through protecting synapses and inhibiting α-synuclein overexpression and aggregation in multiple brain regions. The results suggest that TSG may be beneficial to the treatment of ageing-related neurodegenerative diseases. Show more

Keywords: Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside, memory ability, movement function, synapse, α-synuclein, hippocampus, striatum, aging

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-150514

Citation: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 531-541, 2015

Authors: Mateo, Sébastien | Di Rienzo, Franck | Reilly, Karen T. | Revol, Patrice | Delpuech, Claude | Daligault, Sébastien | Guillot, Aymeric | Jacquin-Courtois, Sophie | Luauté, Jacques | Rossetti, Yves | Collet, Christian | Rode, Gilles

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Purpose: Grasp recovery after C6-C7-spinal cord injury (SCI) requires learning “tenodesis grasp” whereby active wrist extension elicits passive thumb-to-forefinger and finger-to-palm flexion. Evidence that motor imagery (MI) promotes upper limb function after tetraplegia is growing, but whether MI potentiates grasp recovery in C6-C7-SCI individuals who have successfully learned the “tenodesis grasp” remains unknown. Methods: Six chronic stable C6-C7-SCI inpatients and six healthy control participants were included. C6-C7-SCI participants imagined grasping movements and controls visualized geometric forms for 45 minutes, three times a week for five weeks. Three separate measures taken over a five week period …before the intervention formed the baseline. Intervention effects were assessed immediately after the intervention and eight weeks later. Each testing session consisted of kinematic recordings during reach-to-grasp and magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings during wrist extension. Results: During baseline, kinematic wrist extension angle during “tenodesis grasp” and MEG contralateral sensorimotor cortex (cSMC) activity during wrist extension were stable. Moreover, SCI participants exhibited a greater number of voxels within cSMC than controls. After MI sessions, wrist extension angle increased during “tenodesis grasp” and the number of voxels within cSMC during wrist extension decreased and became similar to controls. Conclusion: These findings provide further support for the use of MI to reinforce a compensatory grasping movement (tenodesis) and induce brain plasticity. Show more

Keywords: Motor imagery, C6-C7 tetraplegia, “tenodesis grasp”, rehabilitation, brain plasticity, kinematic, magnetoencephalography

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-140466

Citation: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 543-555, 2015

Authors: Bates, Kristyn Alissa | Rodger, Jennifer

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Repeated sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are capable of changing and modulating neural activity beyond the period of stimulation. Because many neurological disorders are thought to involve abnormal or dysfunctional neuronal activity, it is hypothesised that the therapeutic action of rTMS may occur through modulating and reversing abnormal activity and facilitating neuroplasticity. Numerous clinical studies have investigated the safety and efficacy of rTMS treatment for a wide variety of conditions including depression, anxiety disorders including obsessive compulsive disorder, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, tinnitus, affective disorders, schizophrenia and chronic pain. Despite some promising results, rTMS is not currently widely used …to assist in recovery from neurotrama. In this review, we argue that the therapeutic promise of rTMS is limited because the mechanisms of action of rTMS are not completely understood and therefore it is difficult to determine which treatment protocols are appropriate for specific neurological conditions. We use the application of rTMS in motor functional recovery from cerebral ischemic stroke to illustrate the difficulties in interpreting and assessing the therapeutic potential of rTMS for neurotrauma in terms of the presumed mechanisms of action of rTMS. Future directions for research will also be discussed. Show more

Keywords: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, brain plasticity, stroke, neuroprotection

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-130359

Citation: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 557-569, 2015

Authors: Monaco, Gina N. | Brown, Todd J. | Burgette, Ryan C. | Fargo, Keith N. | Akst, Lee M. | Jones, Kathryn J. | Foecking, Eileen M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: This study investigated the effects of a combinatorial treatment, consisting of a brief period of nerve electrical stimulation (ES) and systemic supraphysiologic testosterone, on functional recovery following a crush of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). Study design: Prospective, controlled animal study. Methods: After a crush of the left RLN, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four treatment groups: 1) no treatment, 2) ES, 3) testosterone propionate (TP), and 4) ES + TP. Each group was subdivided into 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks post-operative survival time points. Groups had an …n of 4– 9. Recovery of vocal fold mobility (VFM) was assessed. Results: Brief ES of the proximal nerve alone or in combination with TP accelerated the initiation of functional recovery. TP administration by itself also produced increased VFM scores compared to controls, but there were no statistical differences between the ES-treated and TP-treated animals. Treatment with brief ES alone was sufficient to decrease the time required to recover complete VFM. Animals with complete VFM were seen in treatment groups as early as 1 week following injury; in the untreated group, this was not observed until at least 3 weeks post-injury, translating into a 66% decrease in time to complete recovery. Conclusions: Brief ES, alone or in combination with TP, promise to be effective therapeutic interventions for promoting regeneration following RLN injury. Show more

Keywords: Axotomy, regeneration, androgen, electrical stimulation, rat, recurrent laryngeal nerve, functional recovery, vocal fold

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-130334

Citation: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 571-578, 2015

Authors: Lowrance, S.A. | Fink, K.D. | Crane, A. | Matyas, J. | Dey, N.D. | Matchynski, J.J. | Thibo, T. | Reinke, T. | Kippe, J. | Hoffman, C. | Sandstrom, M. | Rossignol, J. | Dunbar, G.L.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Purpose: Stroke is the third leading cause of death and permanent disability in the United States, often producing long-term cognitive impairments, which are not easily recapitulated in animal models. The goals of this study were to assess whether: (1) the endothelin-1 (ET-1) model of chronic stroke produced discernable cognitive deficits; (2) a spatial operant reversal task (SORT) would accurately measure memory deficits in this model; and (3) bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) could reduce any observed deficits. Methods: Rats were given unilateral intracerebral injections of vehicle or ET-1, a stroke-inducing agent, near the middle cerebral …artery. Seven days later, they were given intrastriatal injections of BMMSCs or vehicle, near the ischemic penumbra. The cognitive abilities of the rats were assessed on a novel SORT, which was designed to efficiently distinguish cognitive deficits from potential motoric confounds. Results: Rats given ET-1 had significantly more cognitive errors at six weeks post-stroke on the SORT, and that these deficits were attenuated by BMMSC transplants. Conclusions: These findings indicate that: (1) the ET-1 model produces chronic cognitive deficits; (2) the SORT efficiently measures cognitive deficits that are not confounded by motoric impairment; and (3) BMMSCs may be a viable treatment for stroke-induced cognitive dysfunction. Show more

Keywords: Endothelin-1, mesenchymal stem cells, stroke, operant conditioning, cognitive dysfunction

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-130329

Citation: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 579-588, 2015