Reorganization of spinal neural circuitry and functional recovery after spinal cord injury

The adult central nervous system's capacity to adapt its neural circuits is crucial for understanding functional improvements following spinal cord injury (SCI). These adaptive changes can occur at different levels, including the cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord, both above and below the injury site. Electrophysiological techniques offer a valuable way to assess these functional changes in neural networks, as they provide a non-invasive alternative to preclinical models. Following an SCI, alterations in spinal reflexes occur. In particular the early SR component decreases in amplitude at 6 months post-SCI, while a late component (120–450 ms latency) emerges.

• 1
  After SCI, the early spinal reflex component decreases in amplitude, while a late component emerges and becomes dominant, correlating with walking capacity impairment.
• 2
  Trigemino-cervical reflex (TCR) and trigemino-spinal reflex (TSR) responses show reorganization in SCI patients, suggesting regenerative sprouting of fibers.
• 3
  The involuntary contractions of hand and forearm muscles following stimuli delivered to lower limbs interconnect lower and upper limbs and are also me-diated by long propriospinal fibers.