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Combining Multiple Types of Motor Rehabilitation Enhances Skilled Forelimb Use Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats.
- Source :
-
Neurorehabilitation and neural repair [Neurorehabil Neural Repair] 2015 Nov-Dec; Vol. 29 (10), pp. 989-1000. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Mar 11. - Publication Year :
- 2015
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Abstract
- Background: Neuroplasticity and neurorehabilitation have been extensively studied in animal models of stroke to guide clinical rehabilitation of stroke patients. Similar studies focused on traumatic brain injury (TBI) are lacking.<br />Objective: The current study was designed to examine the effects of individual and combined rehabilitative approaches, previously shown to be beneficial following stroke, in an animal model of moderate/severe TBI, the controlled cortical impact (CCI).<br />Methods: Rats received a unilateral CCI, followed by reach training, voluntary exercise, or unimpaired forelimb constraint, alone or in combination. Forelimb function was assessed at different time points post-CCI by tests of skilled reaching, motor coordination, and asymmetrical limb use.<br />Results: Following CCI, skilled reaching and motor coordination were significantly enhanced by combinations of rehabilitation strategies, not by individual approaches. The return of symmetrical limb use benefited from forelimb constraint alone. None of the rehabilitation strategies affected the size of injury, suggesting that enhanced behavioral function was not a result of neuroprotection.<br />Conclusions: The current study has provided evidence that individual rehabilitation strategies shown to be beneficial in animal models of stroke are not similarly sufficient to enhance behavioral outcome in a model of TBI. Motor rehabilitation strategies for TBI patients may need to be more intense and varied. Future basic science studies exploring the underlying mechanisms of combined rehabilitation approaches in TBI as well as clinical studies comparing rehabilitation approaches for stroke versus TBI would prove fruitful.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form for Potential Conflicts of Interest: Dr Kozlowski reports a grant from US Department of Defense during the conduct of the study.<br /> (© The Author(s) 2015.)
- Subjects :
- Analysis of Variance
Animals
Brain Injuries pathology
Brain Injuries rehabilitation
Disease Models, Animal
Feeding Behavior
Functional Laterality physiology
Male
Physical Conditioning, Animal
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Time Factors
Brain Injuries complications
Motor Skills Disorders etiology
Motor Skills Disorders rehabilitation
Physical Therapy Modalities
Recovery of Function physiology
Upper Extremity physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1552-6844
- Volume :
- 29
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Neurorehabilitation and neural repair
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 25761884
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1545968315576577