Thinking outside the brain: structural plasticity in the spinal cord promotes recovery from cortical stroke.

摘要: Neuroanatomically connected regions distal to a cortical stroke can exhibit both degenerative and adaptive changes during recovery. As the locus for afferent somatosensory fibres efferent motor fibres, spinal cord is ideally situated play critical role in functional In contrast wealth of research into plasticity after stroke, much less focus has previously been placed on subcortical or recovery function stroke. Little known about extent spatiotemporal profile rewiring, its regulation by neurotrophins inflammatory cytokines, potential as therapeutic target improve This commentary examines recent findings Sist et al. (2014) that there distinct period heightened structural plasticity, growth factor expression, cytokine production cord. They suggest neuroplasticity highest first two weeks tapers off dramatically fourth week. Spinal correlates with severity injury temporally matches periods accelerated spontaneous skilled reaching function. The treatments extend re-open this window such anti-Nogo-A antibodies chondroitinase ABC, from clinical populations discussed.