Nat Neurosci. 21, 576–588 (2018)

In rodents, models of spinal cord injury (SCI) that involve carefully cutting the spine have revealed important pathways and improved understanding of how neurons can repair themselves post-injury. However, most spinal cord injuries in humans come from contusions, which inherently cause more widespread and indiscriminate damage. Neuromodulation therapies with electrical stimulation have restored function to paralyzed limbs in cut SCI models in the past; a new paper demonstrations efficacy in a contusion model now as well.

The hind limbs of the rodents used in the study were completely paralyzed following a controlled impact to the lumbar spine. Neurons below the injury were electrically and/or pharmacologically stimulated, and the animals underwent two months physical therapy with a special harness to help bear their body weight. All animals that received both forms of stimulation regained use of their hind limbs. Even though the immediate neuronal projections at the contusion site remained damaged, alternative pathways from the brainstem were activated during the rehabilitation period. De-activating those signals inhibited recovery.