Publication

Maladaptive spinal plasticity opposes spinal learning and recovery in spinal cord injury

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Last modified
  • 05/21/2025
Type of Material
Authors
    Adam R. Ferguson, University of California San FranciscoJ. Russell Huie, University of California San FranciscoEric D. Crown, Abbott LaboratoriesKyle M. Baumbauer, University of PittsburghMichelle A. Hook, Texas A&M UniversitySandra M. Garraway, Emory UniversityKuan H. Lee, Texas A&M UniversityKevin C. Hoy, Texas A&M UniversityJames W. Grau, Texas A&M University
Language
  • English
Date
  • 2012-01-01
Publisher
  • Frontiers Media
Publication Version
Copyright Statement
  • © 2012 Ferguson, Huie, Crown, Baumbauer, Hook, Garraway, Lee, Hoy and Grau.
License
Final Published Version (URL)
Title of Journal or Parent Work
ISSN
  • 1664-042X
Volume
  • 3
Start Page
  • 399
End Page
  • 399
Grant/Funding Information
  • The work in this article was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS063597 and NS067092 to Adam R. Ferguson; NS041548 to James W. Grau) and the National Institute of Child Health and Development (HD058412 to James W. Grau).
Abstract
  • Synaptic plasticity within the spinal cord has great potential to facilitate recovery of function after spinal cord injury (SCI). Spinal plasticity can be induced in an activity-dependent manner even without input from the brain after complete SCI. A mechanistic basis for these effects is provided by research demonstrating that spinal synapses have many of the same plasticity mechanisms that are known to underlie learning and memory in the brain. In addition, the lumbar spinal cord can sustain several forms of learning and memory, including limb-position training. However, not all spinal plasticity promotes recovery of function. Central sensitization of nociceptive (pain) pathways in the spinal cord may emerge in response to various noxious inputs, demonstrating that plasticity within the spinal cord may contribute to maladaptive pain states. In this review we discuss interactions between adaptive and maladaptive forms of activity-dependent plasticity in the spinal cord below the level of SCI. The literature demonstrates that activity-dependent plasticity within the spinal cord must be carefully tuned to promote adaptive spinal training. Prior work from our group has shown that stimulation that is delivered in a limb position-dependent manner or on a fixed interval can induce adaptive plasticity that promotes future spinal cord learning and reduces nociceptive hyper-reactivity. On the other hand, stimulation that is delivered in an unsynchronized fashion, such as randomized electrical stimulation or peripheral skin injuries, can generate maladaptive spinal plasticity that undermines future spinal cord learning, reduces recovery of locomotor function, and promotes nociceptive hyper-reactivity after SCI. We review these basic phenomena, how these findings relate to the broader spinal plasticity literature, discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms, and finally discuss implications of these and other findings for improved rehabilitative therapies after SCI.
Author Notes
  • Correspondence: Adam R. Ferguson and J. Russell Huie, Department of Neurological Surgery, Brain and Spinal Injury Center, University of California, San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Ave., Building 1, Room 101, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. e-mail: adam.ferguson@ucsf.edu; huier@neurosurg.ucsf.edu
Keywords
Research Categories
  • Biology, Neuroscience
  • Psychology, General

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