No Brainer: Treadmill Stepping Following Spinal Cord Injury
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Michele Brumley (Mentor), Idaho State University
Abstract
Previous research suggests that treadmill training increases locomotor performance following spinal cord injury (SCI). The purpose of this study was to examine treadmill stepping behavior in neonatal rats with a spinal cord transection, to understand how the isolated spinal cord can adapt motor output during treadmill training. The study consisted of four groups of rats: 2 sexes x 2 surgery conditions. On postnatal day 1 (P1), male and female rats underwent a complete spinal cord transection (T8-T10) or a sham operation. From P10 through P17, each rat received treadmill training for three ten-minute sessions per day. Video recordings were conducted on the first and final day of training, and hindlimb steps were scored by examining hindlimb step coordination (unilateral and bilateral steps) and foot posture (plantar, other, and mixed). Preliminary results suggest developmental increases in bilateral and unilateral plantar stepping and differences in plantar step frequencies between surgical conditions (shams showing higher frequencies of unilateral and bilateral steps at both ages). This study suggests that the isolated spinal cord is responsive to sensorimotor training and will help identify how spinal circuitry can support hindlimb stepping behaviors following an SCI.
No Brainer: Treadmill Stepping Following Spinal Cord Injury
Previous research suggests that treadmill training increases locomotor performance following spinal cord injury (SCI). The purpose of this study was to examine treadmill stepping behavior in neonatal rats with a spinal cord transection, to understand how the isolated spinal cord can adapt motor output during treadmill training. The study consisted of four groups of rats: 2 sexes x 2 surgery conditions. On postnatal day 1 (P1), male and female rats underwent a complete spinal cord transection (T8-T10) or a sham operation. From P10 through P17, each rat received treadmill training for three ten-minute sessions per day. Video recordings were conducted on the first and final day of training, and hindlimb steps were scored by examining hindlimb step coordination (unilateral and bilateral steps) and foot posture (plantar, other, and mixed). Preliminary results suggest developmental increases in bilateral and unilateral plantar stepping and differences in plantar step frequencies between surgical conditions (shams showing higher frequencies of unilateral and bilateral steps at both ages). This study suggests that the isolated spinal cord is responsive to sensorimotor training and will help identify how spinal circuitry can support hindlimb stepping behaviors following an SCI.