NT3 treatment alters spinal cord injury-induced changes in the gray matter volume of rhesus monkey cortex

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) may cause structural alterations in brain due to pathophysiological processes, but the effects of SCI treatment on brain have rarely been reported. Here, voxel-based morphometry is employed to investigate the effects of SCI and neurotrophin-3 (NT3) coupled chitosan-induced regeneration on brain and spinal cord structures in rhesus monkeys. Possible association between brain and spinal cord structural alterations is explored. The pain sensitivity and stepping ability of animals are collected to evaluate sensorimotor functional alterations. Compared with SCI, the unique effects of NT3 treatment on brain structure appear in extensive regions which involved in motor control and neuropathic pain, such as right visual cortex, superior parietal lobule, left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral caudate nucleus. Particularly, the structure of insula is significantly correlated with the pain sensitivity. Regenerative treatment also shows a protective effect on spinal cord structure. The associations between brain and spinal cord structural alterations are observed in right primary somatosensory cortex, SFG, and other regions. These results help further elucidate secondary effects on brain of SCI and provide a basis for evaluating the effects of NT3 treatment on brain structure.

Altered Brain Function in Pediatric Patients With Complete Spinal Cord Injury: A Resting‐State Functional MRI Study

“…A previous research has shown that SCI can induce changes in the central gray caudal to injury that reduces the inhibitory of the gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor and removes a brake on neural activity, allowing a state of over‐excitation 18 . The caudate nucleus is a key hub of striatum, which affects movement by thalamic cortical projection 8,19 . It plays an important role in the maintenance of trunk and limb posture, as well as the accuracy and speed of directional movement 19 .…”

“…18 The caudate nucleus is a key hub of striatum, which affects movement by thalamic cortical projection. 8,19 It plays an important role in the maintenance of trunk and limb posture, as well as the accuracy and speed of directional movement. 19 The thalamus is an important relay station which receives sensory and motor information, then processes the signals and transmits it to the cerebral cortex.…”

“…8,19 It plays an important role in the maintenance of trunk and limb posture, as well as the accuracy and speed of directional movement. 19 The thalamus is an important relay station which receives sensory and motor information, then processes the signals and transmits it to the cerebral cortex. 20 The MCC selectively mediate the concordance of sensorimotor information and self-initiated movements.…”

Transcription Pattern of Neurotrophic Factors and Their Receptors in Adult Zebrafish Spinal Cord

“…In the mouse, cellular delivery of NT3 promotes corticospinal axonal growth and partial functional recovery after spinal cord injury [ 55 ]. Indeed, NT3 can be used to enable chronic-SCI repair and MR-DTI-based mapping of lesion areas [ 56 ]. Relative to the role of NT4 in the spinal cord, previous studies showed that, in synergy with BDNF, it could play a crucial role during axon regeneration and motor neuron plasticity [ 57 , 58 , 59 ].…”

Rehabilitation Training after Spinal Cord Injury Affects Brain Structure and Function: From Mechanisms to Methods

“…Freund et al [101] also confirmed the presence of structural atrophy of the sensory and motor cortex in patients with chronic cervical SCI, and this condition is closely related to the degree of dysfunction and recovery. The deterioration of cortical structural integrity reduces the processing speed and functional integration of the brain, leading to the deterioration of walking function and neuropathic pain after SCI [6,102].…”