The Experts below are selected from a list of 33 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Anton Wernig - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
laufband treadmill therapy in incomplete paraplegia and tetraplegia
Journal of Neurotrauma, 1999Co-Authors: Anton Wernig, Andras Nanassy, Sabina MullerAbstract:Recent reports indicate that intensive training of upright walking on a treadmill (German: Laufband, LB) according to the “rules of Spinal Locomotion”, significantly improves walking capability in Spinal cord damaged persons. The aids provided initially are body weight support by a harness and proper placing of one or both limbs by therapists.
-
laufband therapy based on rules of Spinal Locomotion is effective in Spinal cord injured persons
European Journal of Neuroscience, 1995Co-Authors: Anton Wernig, S Muller, A Nanassy, E CagolAbstract:Rehabilitation of Locomotion in Spinal cord (s.c.) injured patients is unsatisfactory. Here we report the effects of a novel ‘Laufband (LB; treadmill) therapy’ based on ‘rules of Spinal Locomotion’ derived from lower vertebrates. Eighty-nine incompletely paralysed (44 chronic and 45 acute) para- and tetraplegics underwent this therapy, then were compared with 64 patients (24 chronic and 40 acute) treated conventionally. The programme consisted of daily upright walking on a motor driven LB initially with body weight support (BWS) provided by a harness and assisted limb movements by the therapists when necessary. Forty-four chronic patients with different degrees of paralysis undertook the programme for 3-20 weeks (median = 10.5), 0.5–18 years after S.C. damage. At the onset of LB therapy 33/44 patients were wheelchair-bound (no standing and/or walking without help by others) compared with 25 at completion of LB therapy, i.e. 76% had learned to walk independently, 7 patients with help. Only 1 subject did not improve. It was striking that voluntary muscle activity in the resting position was still low in several patients who had gained walking capability. Eleven patients who could already walk before LB therapy improved in speed and endurance. Of the 44 patients, six were capable of staircase walking before LB therapy compared with 34 afterwards. In order to validate the apparent superiority of LB therapy two types of comparisons were performed. In a ‘temporal’ control 12 spastic paretic patients, still wheelchair-bound after the period of postacute conventional therapy, performed LB immediately thereafter. After completion of LB therapy nine of these patients had learned to walk without help from others. In another control, two groups of chronic patients, matched in type of injury, time after injury (1 or more years) and history of previous rehabilitation (one or several periods of conventional therapy), were compared. One group underwent LB therapy (n= 29), the other conventional therapy (n= 24) for similar periods of time. From 18 wheelchair-bound patients, 14 became independent walkers after LB, but only 1/14 after conventional therapy. From 45 acute patients 92% (33/36) of those wheelchair-bound at the onset of LB therapy became independent, but only 50% (12/24) after conventional therapy (n= 40). It is noteworthy that voluntary muscle activity at rest was similar in both groups. The presumed underlying mechanisms are discussed in the light of the absence of any apparent effects in seven functionally completely paralysed paraplegic persons.
Gualtiero Gandini - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
acquisition of involuntary Spinal Locomotion Spinal walking in dogs with irreversible thoracolumbar Spinal cord lesion 81 dogs
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2017Co-Authors: Antonella Gallucci, L Dragone, Marika Menchetti, Teresa Gagliardo, Marco Pietra, M Cardinali, Gualtiero GandiniAbstract:Background Spinal walking (SW) is described as the acquisition of an involuntary motor function in paraplegic dogs and cats without pain perception affected by a thoracolumbar lesion. Whereas Spinal Locomotion is well described in cats that underwent training trials after experimental Spinal cord resection, less consistent information is available for dogs. Hypothesis Paraplegic dogs affected by a thoracolumbar complete Spinal cord lesion undergoing intensive physical rehabilitation could acquire an autonomous SW gait under field conditions. Animals Eighty-one acute paraplegic thoracolumbar dogs without pelvic limb pain perception. Methods Retrospective study of medical records of dogs selected for intensive rehabilitation treatment in paraplegic dogs with absence of pain perception on admission and during the whole treatment. Binary regression and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze potential associations with the development of SW. Results Autonomous SW was achieved in 48 dogs (59%). Median time to achieve SW was of 75.5 days (range: 16–350 days). On univariate analysis, SW gait was associated with younger age (P = .002) and early start of physiotherapy (P = .024). Multivariate logistic regression showed that younger age (≤60 months) and lightweight (≤7.8 kg) were positively associated with development of SW (P = .012 and P < .001, respectively). BCS, full-time hospitalization, and type and site of the lesion were not significantly associated with development of SW. Conclusions Dogs with irreversible thoracolumbar lesion undergoing intensive physiotherapic treatment can acquire SW. Younger age and lightweight are positively associated with the development of SW gait.
E Cagol - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
laufband therapy based on rules of Spinal Locomotion is effective in Spinal cord injured persons
European Journal of Neuroscience, 1995Co-Authors: Anton Wernig, S Muller, A Nanassy, E CagolAbstract:Rehabilitation of Locomotion in Spinal cord (s.c.) injured patients is unsatisfactory. Here we report the effects of a novel ‘Laufband (LB; treadmill) therapy’ based on ‘rules of Spinal Locomotion’ derived from lower vertebrates. Eighty-nine incompletely paralysed (44 chronic and 45 acute) para- and tetraplegics underwent this therapy, then were compared with 64 patients (24 chronic and 40 acute) treated conventionally. The programme consisted of daily upright walking on a motor driven LB initially with body weight support (BWS) provided by a harness and assisted limb movements by the therapists when necessary. Forty-four chronic patients with different degrees of paralysis undertook the programme for 3-20 weeks (median = 10.5), 0.5–18 years after S.C. damage. At the onset of LB therapy 33/44 patients were wheelchair-bound (no standing and/or walking without help by others) compared with 25 at completion of LB therapy, i.e. 76% had learned to walk independently, 7 patients with help. Only 1 subject did not improve. It was striking that voluntary muscle activity in the resting position was still low in several patients who had gained walking capability. Eleven patients who could already walk before LB therapy improved in speed and endurance. Of the 44 patients, six were capable of staircase walking before LB therapy compared with 34 afterwards. In order to validate the apparent superiority of LB therapy two types of comparisons were performed. In a ‘temporal’ control 12 spastic paretic patients, still wheelchair-bound after the period of postacute conventional therapy, performed LB immediately thereafter. After completion of LB therapy nine of these patients had learned to walk without help from others. In another control, two groups of chronic patients, matched in type of injury, time after injury (1 or more years) and history of previous rehabilitation (one or several periods of conventional therapy), were compared. One group underwent LB therapy (n= 29), the other conventional therapy (n= 24) for similar periods of time. From 18 wheelchair-bound patients, 14 became independent walkers after LB, but only 1/14 after conventional therapy. From 45 acute patients 92% (33/36) of those wheelchair-bound at the onset of LB therapy became independent, but only 50% (12/24) after conventional therapy (n= 40). It is noteworthy that voluntary muscle activity at rest was similar in both groups. The presumed underlying mechanisms are discussed in the light of the absence of any apparent effects in seven functionally completely paralysed paraplegic persons.
Serge Rossignol - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
cholinergic mechanisms in Spinal Locomotion potential target for rehabilitation approaches
Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 2014Co-Authors: Larry M Jordan, J R Mcvagh, Brian R Noga, Anna M Cabaj, H Majczynski, Urszula Slawinska, Janyne Provencher, Hugues Leblond, Serge RossignolAbstract:Previous experiments implicate cholinergic brainstem and Spinal systems in the control of Locomotion. Our results demonstrate that the endogenous cholinergic proprioSpinal system, acting via M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors, is capable of consistently producing well-coordinated locomotor activity in the in vitro neonatal preparation, placing it in a position to contribute to normal Locomotion and to provide a basis for recovery of locomotor capability in the absence of descending pathways. Tests of these suggestions, however, reveal that the Spinal cholinergic system plays little if any role in the induction of Locomotion, because MLR-evoked Locomotion in decerebrate cats is not prevented by cholinergic antagonists. Furthermore, it is not required for the development of stepping movements after Spinal cord injury, because cholinergic agonists do not facilitate the appearance of Locomotion after Spinal cord injury, unlike the dramatic Locomotion-promoting effects of clonidine, a noradrenergic α-2 agonist. Furthermore, cholinergic antagonists actually improve locomotor activity after Spinal cord injury, suggesting that plastic changes in the Spinal cholinergic system interfere with Locomotion rather than facilitating it. Changes that have been observed in the cholinergic innervation of motoneurons after Spinal cord injury do not decrease motoneuron excitability, as expected. Instead, the development of a “hyper-cholinergic” state after Spinal cord injury appears to enhance motoneuron output and suppress Locomotion. A cholinergic suppression of afferent input from the limb after Spinal cord injury is also evident from our data, and this may contribute to the ability of cholinergic antagonists to improve Locomotion. Not only is a role for the Spinal cholinergic system in suppressing Locomotion after SCI suggested by our results, but an obligatory contribution of a brainstem cholinergic relay to reticuloSpinal locomotor command systems is not confirmed by our experiments.
-
recovery of Locomotion in the cat following Spinal cord lesions
Brain Research Reviews, 2002Co-Authors: Serge Rossignol, Laurent J Bouyer, Dorothy Barthelemy, Cecile Langlet, Hugues LeblondAbstract:In most species, locomotor function beneath the level of a Spinal cord lesion can be restored even if the cord is completely transected. This suggests that there is, within the Spinal cord, an autonomous network of neurons capable of generating a locomotor pattern independently of supraSpinal inputs. Recent studies suggest that several physiological and neurochemical changes have to occur in the neuronal networks located caudally to the lesion to allow the expression of Spinal Locomotion. Some evidence of this plasticity will be addressed in this review. In addition, original data on the functional organisation of the lumbar Spinal cord will also be presented. Recent works in our lab show that segmental responsiveness of the Spinal cord of the cat to locally micro-injected drugs in different lumbar segments, in combination with complete lesions at various level of the Spinal cord, suggest a rostro-caudal organisation of Spinal locomotor control. Moreover, the integrity of midlumbar segments seems to be crucial for the expression of Spinal Locomotion. These data suggest that the regions of critical importance for Locomotion can be confined to a restricted portion of the Spinal cord. Later, these midlumbar segments could be targeted by electrical stimulation or grafts to improve recovery of function. Understanding the changes in Spinal cord neurophysiology and neurochemistry after a lesion is of critical importance to the improvement of treatments for locomotor rehabilitation in Spinal-cord-injured patients.
Antonella Gallucci - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
acquisition of involuntary Spinal Locomotion Spinal walking in dogs with irreversible thoracolumbar Spinal cord lesion 81 dogs
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2017Co-Authors: Antonella Gallucci, L Dragone, Marika Menchetti, Teresa Gagliardo, Marco Pietra, M Cardinali, Gualtiero GandiniAbstract:Background Spinal walking (SW) is described as the acquisition of an involuntary motor function in paraplegic dogs and cats without pain perception affected by a thoracolumbar lesion. Whereas Spinal Locomotion is well described in cats that underwent training trials after experimental Spinal cord resection, less consistent information is available for dogs. Hypothesis Paraplegic dogs affected by a thoracolumbar complete Spinal cord lesion undergoing intensive physical rehabilitation could acquire an autonomous SW gait under field conditions. Animals Eighty-one acute paraplegic thoracolumbar dogs without pelvic limb pain perception. Methods Retrospective study of medical records of dogs selected for intensive rehabilitation treatment in paraplegic dogs with absence of pain perception on admission and during the whole treatment. Binary regression and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze potential associations with the development of SW. Results Autonomous SW was achieved in 48 dogs (59%). Median time to achieve SW was of 75.5 days (range: 16–350 days). On univariate analysis, SW gait was associated with younger age (P = .002) and early start of physiotherapy (P = .024). Multivariate logistic regression showed that younger age (≤60 months) and lightweight (≤7.8 kg) were positively associated with development of SW (P = .012 and P < .001, respectively). BCS, full-time hospitalization, and type and site of the lesion were not significantly associated with development of SW. Conclusions Dogs with irreversible thoracolumbar lesion undergoing intensive physiotherapic treatment can acquire SW. Younger age and lightweight are positively associated with the development of SW gait.