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Activity-based Training on a Treadmill with Spinal Cord Injured Wistar Rats
Published on: January 16, 2019
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Exercise Training Promotes Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury
Juanjuan Fu1, Hongxing Wang2, Lingxiao Deng3
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of 1st Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, School of Rehabilitation Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China.
Neural Plasticity
|January 5, 2017
Summary
Exercise training aids spinal cord injury recovery by improving skeletal muscle, motor neurons, and brain function. This therapy offers a novel approach beyond traditional nerve and muscle support.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Exercise training is a recognized therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI).
- Traditional views focused on enhancing, compensating, or replacing remaining nerve and muscle function.
- Emerging evidence suggests broader mechanisms of action for exercise in SCI recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of how exercise training impacts SCI.
- To explore the multi-level effects of exercise on SCI recovery.
- To synthesize findings from animal models and clinical studies.
Main Methods:
- Compilation of published data from diverse animal models of SCI.
- Inclusion of data from human clinical studies on exercise interventions for SCI.
- Systematic review and synthesis of existing knowledge.
Main Results:
- Exercise training reshapes skeletal muscle structure and fiber type.
- It regulates the physiological and metabolic functions of spinal motor neurons.
- It promotes functional remodeling of the cerebral cortex.
Conclusions:
- Exercise training offers multifaceted benefits for spinal cord injury beyond traditional approaches.
- The effects span from peripheral tissues like skeletal muscle to central nervous system structures.
- This review highlights the comprehensive impact of exercise on SCI rehabilitation.
