Variability in Step Training Enhances Locomotor Recovery After a Spinal Cord Injury

This study investigates whether varying the type of step training can improve forward stepping ability in rats after spinal cord injury. Rats were trained to step forward, sideward, or backward on a treadmill. The results showed that rats trained in sideward or backward stepping had better forward stepping consistency and coordination compared to those trained only in forward stepping. This suggests that varying the training can enhance motor skill recovery. The study proposes that different stepping directions engage overlapping neural networks in the spinal cord. Training in multiple directions may activate a broader network, leading to improved motor control.

• 1
  Rats trained in sideward and backward stepping showed greater step consistency and coordination during forward stepping compared to forward-trained rats.
• 2
  Sideward and backward trained rats had higher peak amplitudes and total integrated activity of electromyography (EMG) signals in hindlimb muscles during forward stepping.
• 3
  The threshold of epidural stimulation required to produce reliable locomotion in the forward direction was lower after training in the sideward-trained group.