Widening spinal injury research to consider all supraspinal cell types: why we must and how we can

Exp Neurol, 2021 · DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113862 · Published: December 1, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Neurology Neuroplasticity

Simple Explanation

The brain's connections to the spinal cord are complex, involving many types of neurons that control movement, autonomic functions, and sensory processing. Spinal cord injury (SCI) research often focuses on a few major pathways, but new technologies allow for a broader study of all brain-spinal cord connections. By studying all connections, researchers can better understand how the brain compensates after SCI and develop more effective treatments.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Murine models

Evidence Level

Review

Key Findings

1
Most SCI research focuses on corticospinal, rubrospinal, and raphespinal pathways, neglecting many other important supraspinal populations.
2
New techniques like tissue clearing, viral labeling, and automated registration enable brain-wide analysis of supraspinal neurons after SCI.
3
Connectome data can help explain variability in functional outcomes after SCI by correlating recovery with the sparing of neurons in specific brain regions.

Research Summary

This review emphasizes the importance of considering all supraspinal cell types in spinal cord injury (SCI) research, not just a few major pathways. The authors discuss how new technologies make it feasible to study the entire supraspinal connectome in SCI, leading to a better understanding of functional outcomes and treatment effects. They also introduce a web-based resource for brain-wide assessment of supraspinal populations, aiming to demystify supraspinal diversity and facilitate broader consideration of these populations in SCI research.

Practical Implications

Improved Translational Success

A broader understanding of supraspinal populations can lead to more effective preclinical models and better prediction of clinical outcomes for SCI treatments.

Enhanced Understanding of Functional Recovery

Connectome data can help explain the variability in functional recovery after SCI and identify key brain regions involved in compensation and plasticity.

Rational Design of Combined Therapies

Profiling the regenerative responses of different supraspinal populations can inform the design of combined therapies that maximize connectome-wide recovery.

Study Limitations

1
Current models may not fully capture species-specific differences between rodents and primates.
2
AAV2-retro is less effective in sensory neurons in the DRG and in serotonergic neurons
3
Current methods primarily assess axonal connection to target tissue, but is insensitive to changes in the number of target cells.

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