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Breathing and Walking Following Spinal Injury
APS Respiration Section
David D. Fuller and Francis J. Golder
V. R. Edgerton, G.D. Muir, C.B. Mantilla, D. D. Fuller and K. D. Nantwi
Appropriate induction of plasticity in spinal neurons
and networks can partially restore motor function following spinal cord
injury (SCI). Plasticity may be induced by specific training paradigms,
pharmacological treatments, or spontaneous mechanisms activated following
injury. The aim of this symposium is to bring together leaders in the study
of SCI, plasticity and breathing with investigators examining similar issues
with respect to locomotion. The objective is to determine if similar
experimental approaches can be used, and if the underlying physiological
principles are similar between respiratory- and locomotor-related spinal
cord plasticity following SCI. The first two speakers will address the more
established topic of plasticity and locomotion after SCI. The featured
speaker, Dr. Reggie Edgerton, will discuss potential mechanisms by which
locomotor training improves post-SCI motor performance. Dr. Gillian Muir
will then discuss how spinal plasticity enables compensatory locomotor
adjustments following cervical and thoracic SCI. The next three speakers
will build upon the theme of spinal plasticity but will shift the focus to
respiratory control following SCI. Dr. Carlos Mantilla will discuss the
role of neurotrophins in phrenic motoneuron plasticity. Dr. David Fuller
will discuss how two separate paradigms can “train” respiratory neural
pathways and thus strengthen spinal synaptic pathways to phrenic motoneurons.
Finally, Dr. Kwaku Nantwi will focus on pharmacological approaches aimed at
improving respiratory motor output following cervical SCI.
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