Exercise after spinal cord injury as an agent for neuroprotection, regeneration and rehabilitation

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic event from which there is limited recovery of function, despite the best efforts of many investigators to devise realistic therapeutic treatments. Partly this is due to the multifaceted nature of SCI, where there is considerable disarray and dysfuncti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain research 2015-09, Vol.1619, p.12-21
Main Authors: Sandrow-Feinberg, Harra R, Houlé, John D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Exercise
Exercise Therapy
Gray Matter - metabolism
Humans
MicroRNAs - metabolism
Motor Neurons - metabolism
Neurology
Neuronal Plasticity
Neuroprotection
Neurorehabilitation
Neurotrauma
Recovery of Function
Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology
Spinal Cord Injuries - rehabilitation
Spinal Cord Injuries - therapy
Spinal cord injury
Spinal Cord Regeneration
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Summary:Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic event from which there is limited recovery of function, despite the best efforts of many investigators to devise realistic therapeutic treatments. Partly this is due to the multifaceted nature of SCI, where there is considerable disarray and dysfunction secondary to the initial injury. Contributing to this secondary degeneration is neurotoxicity, vascular dysfunction, glial scarring, neuroinflammation, apoptosis and demyelination. It seems logical that addressing the need for neuroprotection, regeneration and rehabilitation will require different treatment strategies that may be applied at varied stages of the post-injury response. Here we focus on a single strategy, exercise/physical training, which appears to have multiple applications and benefits for an acute or chronic SCI. Exercise has been demonstrated to be advantageous at cellular and biochemical levels, as well as being of benefit for the whole animal or human subject. Data from our lab and others will be discussed to further elucidate the many positive aspects of implementing exercise following injury and to suggest that rehabilitation is not the sole target of a training regimen following SCI. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Spinal cord injury.
ISSN:0006-8993
1872-6240
DOI:10.1016/j.brainres.2015.03.052