Early escitalopram administration as a preemptive treatment strategy against spasticity after contusive spinal cord injury in rats

Scientific Reports, 2021 · DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85961-5 · Published: April 8, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Pharmacology Neurology

Simple Explanation

This study investigates whether early administration of escitalopram, a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), can prevent spasticity after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The researchers administered escitalopram to rats with contusive SCI for four weeks, starting a day after the injury, and assessed spastic behaviors using swimming tests and H-reflex tests. The results showed that early escitalopram administration reduced spastic behaviors and decreased the population of rats exhibiting strong spasticity, suggesting a potential preventative treatment strategy.

Study Duration

4 weeks

Participants

27 adult female Sprague–Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Early escitalopram administration suppressed spastic behaviors during the swimming test in rats with contusive SCI.
2
The treatment reduced the population of spasticity-strong rats, indicating a preventative effect on spasticity development.
3
Escitalopram administration decreased immunoreactivity of 5-HT2AR in the spinal motor neurons, suggesting a regulation of the 5-HT system.

Research Summary

This study investigated the effect of early escitalopram administration on spasticity after contusive spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. Escitalopram, a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), was administered for 4 weeks starting one day after SCI. The results showed that early escitalopram administration suppressed spastic behaviors during swimming tests and reduced the population of rats exhibiting strong spasticity. This suggests that SSRI administration can control the onset of spastic symptoms. The study also found a decrease in the immunoreactivity of 5-HT2AR in the spinal motor neurons, indicating that early escitalopram administration could prevent the onset of spastic behaviors via regulation of the 5-HT system after SCI.

Practical Implications

Preventative Spasticity Treatment

Early SSRI administration may be a novel preemptive strategy for suppressing spasticity after SCI.

Regulation of 5-HT System

The study suggests that escitalopram could prevent the onset of spastic behaviors via regulation of the 5-HT system after SCI.

Clinical Application

Early SSRI administration may be helpful in dealing with depression as well as the onset of spasticity after SCI, considering that many patients with SCI exhibit depression after the injury.

Study Limitations

1
The study did not examine spasticity beyond 4 weeks after SCI.
2
The specific mechanisms by which SSRIs downregulate 5-HT receptors have not been fully elucidated.
3
The study did not confirm 5-HT concentration in the spinal cord after the 4 weeks of intervention.

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