Exercise-Induced Plasticity in Signaling Pathways Involved in Motor Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021 · DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094858 · Published: May 4, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Neuroplasticity Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause lasting issues that lower the quality of life. Exercise is a key treatment, improving overall health and helping the nervous system recover. Scientists are learning how exercise changes the brain at a molecular level. Exercise helps the brain cells make new connections, adjust how they send signals, and manage their internal environment. It seems that exercise increases special proteins called neurotrophins, which are essential for these benefits. This review looks at how exercise affects the brain on a molecular level after a spinal cord injury. It explains how exercise can protect injured brain cells, help them regrow, and improve overall motor function.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Animal models

Evidence Level

Review

Key Findings

1
Exercise can modify the injury environment, promoting axonal sprouting of local spinal networks and remaining descending axons.
2
Exercise promotes synaptic and ionic plasticity, and, importantly, improve motor functions in both the hindlimbs and forelimbs, validating the therapeutic potential of task-speciﬁc rehabilitation for functional recovery after chronic SCI.
3
Following SCI, exercise-based therapies are associated with countless forms of plasticity, ranging from circuit formation, prevention of apoptosis, axonal sprouting, changes in chloride homeostasis, and many other alterations that likely contribute to neural repair and functional recovery.

Research Summary

Exercise stands out as a key therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI), offering benefits beyond peripheral health by activating neural pathways and alleviating central nervous system disorders. Exercise rapidly affects dendritic sprouting, synaptic connections, neurotransmitter production, and ionic homeostasis, with exercise-induced increases in neurotrophins playing a central role. This review elucidates the molecular effects of exercise on the CNS, highlighting how it fosters an environment conducive to neuronal survival, regeneration, and the restoration of neural excitability, ultimately improving motor function post-SCI.

Practical Implications

Optimizing Intervention Strategies

Understanding the molecular pathways affected by exercise can facilitate the optimization of intervention strategies for SCI.

Improving Quality of Life

By promoting neuronal survival, regeneration, and restoring neural excitability, exercise can significantly improve the quality of life for individuals affected by SCI.

Combining Therapies

Future treatments for SCI may benefit from combining cellular and pharmacological approaches with activity-based therapies to address the variety of targets and processes affected by the injury.

Study Limitations

1
Limited randomized controlled clinical trials with considerable variability across studies and patients.
2
Standardizing therapy in clinical trials can be challenging due to the need for individualized activity-based therapies.
3
Co-morbidities that accompany SCI can make exercise challenging or even impossible for some individuals, particularly early after injury.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury