Although changes of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in and around traumatic contusions are well documented, the role of CBF for the delayed death of neuronal cells in the traumatic penumbra ultimately resulting in secondary contusion expansion remains unclear. The aim of the current study was therefore to investigate the relationship between changes of CBF and progressive peri-contusional cell death ...

Early massive edema caused by severe cerebral contusion results in elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) and clinical deterioration within 24-72 hours post-trauma. Previous studies indicate that cells in the central area of the contusion undergo shrinkage, disintegration, and homogenization, whereas cellular swelling is predominant in the peripheral area, suggesting that early massive edema ...

Objective. To explore the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at ST36 (EA-ST36) and at Ashi acupoints (EA-Ashi) on skeletal muscle repair. Methods. Seventy-five rabbits were randomly divided into five groups: normal, contusion, EA-Ashi, EA-ST36, and EA at Ashi acupoints and ST36 (EA-AS). EA (0.4 mA, 2 Hz, 15 min) was applied after an acute gastrocnemius contusion. The morphology of myofibers and...

We previously reported that brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a pronociceptive neurotransmitter, induces synaptic facilitation of EPSC in lamina II neurons of neonatal rats up to P14 in an NMDA-receptor dependent manner (Garraway et al. 2003). Here we used the patch-clamp technique to study synaptic and NMDA-evoked responses in transverse spinal slices in the lumbar enlargement as well ...

The Role of Stress in Recovery of Function after Spinal Cord Injury. (August 2007) Stephanie Nicole Washburn, B.S.; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. James W. Grau Research has shown that exposure to just 6 minutes of uncontrollable shock 24 hours following contusion injury impairs locomotor recovery and leads to greater tissue loss at the injury epicenter. Uncontrolla...

OBJECTIVE To study the transplantation efficacy of neural stem cells (NSCs) and Schwann cells (SC) in a rat model of spinal cord contusion injury. METHODS Multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs) and Schwann cells were harvested from the spinal cords of embryonic rats at 16 days post coitus and sciatic nerves of newborn rats, respectively. The differential characteristics of NSCs in vitro induced...

Transmission through descending pathways to lumbar motoneurons, although important for voluntary walking in humans and rats, has not been fully understood at the cellular level in contusion models. Major descending pathways innervating lumbar motoneurons include those at corticospinal tract (CST) and ventrolateral funiculus (VLF). We examined transmission and plasticity at synaptic pathways fro...

Vascular trauma is a rare injury in young children, and mostly mild, such as spasm or short contusion of the artery, rarely requiring surgical revascularization [1]. Therefore, when encountering complicated case.