Interactive effects between exercise and serotonergic pharmacotherapy on cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury

Neurorehabil Neural Repair, 2016 · DOI: 10.1177/1545968315600523 · Published: June 1, 2016

Spinal Cord Injury Neuroplasticity Neurorehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how different therapies, like active exercise, passive exercise, and a drug that affects serotonin, can change the brain after a spinal cord injury in rats. The researchers looked at how these therapies, alone or in combination, affected the organization of the brain's cortex, specifically the area that controls hindlimb movement. The findings showed that some therapies work well together, while others seem to cancel each other out, highlighting the complexity of brain recovery after spinal cord injury.

Study Duration

9 weeks

Participants

70 adult Sprague-Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Passive exercise (bike) and serotonergic pharmacotherapy (quipazine) are ‘competing’ therapies, as quipazine limits the cortical reorganization induced by bike.
2
Active exercise (treadmill) and quipazine are ‘collaborative’ therapies; their combination leads to greater cortical reorganization than either alone.
3
Treadmill combined with quipazine increased the proportion of responding cells compared to bike+quipazine.

Research Summary

The study examined the interactive effects of active exercise, passive exercise, and serotonergic pharmacotherapy on cortical reorganization in rats with spinal cord injuries. The researchers found that passive exercise (bike) and quipazine are competing therapies, while active exercise (treadmill) and quipazine are collaborative. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how different therapeutic strategies interact to optimize recovery after spinal cord injury.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Combinations

Combining therapies for spinal cord injury requires careful consideration, as some combinations may be counterproductive.

Serotonergic Therapy

Serotonergic therapies can have varying effects on brain plasticity depending on the model of sensory deafferentation and specific 5-HT receptors involved.

Translational Caution

Caution should be exercised when translating results and therapies from animal models to human patients.

Study Limitations

1
Analyses with N=animals is not reliable.
2
All behaviors were performed in the light phase of the rats’ light/dark cycle, i.e. during the rat's inactive phase
3
It is premature to imply any causal relationship between reorganization of the somatosensory cortex and possible functional recovery

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