International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-9096
ISSN: 2329-9096
Jed S. Shumsky
2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129
Tanzania
Research Article
Task Practice with or without Cellular Transplantation Promotes Recovery of Reach-to Grasp Function after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Author(s): Scott K. Stackhouse and Jed S. ShumskyScott K. Stackhouse and Jed S. Shumsky
Background and Purpose: Cervical spinal cord injury results in specific deficits in forelimb function. In the rat, lesions to the rubrospinal tract impair forelimb function despite the presence of an intact corticospinal tract. Both functional and anatomical recovery have been promoted by transplantation of neuronal and glial restricted precursors (NRP/GRP) following injury, and task-specific practice is used clinically to maximize recovery of function. We tested the hypothesis that combination therapy of daily task practice and NRP/GRP cell transplants will improve reach-to-grasp function.
Methods: Forty-one adult female rats received a lesion to the right cervical dorsolateral funiculus. They were randomly divided into 4 groups for the study: Control (n=11), NRP/GRP Transplant (n=14), Task Practice (n=8), and Task Practice + NRP/GRP (n=8). All animals.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2329-9096.1000239