Hypothermia effects on neuronal plasticity post spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often lead to long-term neurological issues with limited treatment options. While the nervous system struggles to repair itself, the brain can sometimes compensate through neuroplasticity. This study investigates whether using hypothermia (cooling) early after a spinal cord injury can help the brain's compensatory mechanisms. The research focuses on how hypothermia affects the signals in the upper limbs after a spinal cord injury in the mid-thoracic region. The scientists hypothesized that hypothermia could boost neuroplasticity in the upper limbs, even if the injury is lower down the spinal cord. The results suggest that early hypothermia might have a neuroprotective effect, encouraging more neuroplasticity in the neural networks of the upper limbs following a spinal cord injury. This could lead to better planning for rehabilitation and functional electrical stimulation in SCI patients.

• 1
  Significant differences were found in SSEP signal amplitudes when stimulating either forelimb in rats with normothermia compared to those treated with hypothermia on days 4 and 7 post-SCI.
• 2
  Early hypothermia appears to stimulate neuroplasticity within the upper limbs neural network post-SCI.
• 3
  Forelimbs SSEP signals showed statistically significant differences on days 4 and 7 in groups with and without hypothermia, indicating a neuroprotective effect of early hypothermia.