Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience: Celebrating the 40th volume of an academic journal
Since the first issue of the academic journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience (RNN) was published in 1989, 40 volumes with a total of 1,550 SCI publications have helped advance basic and clinical sciences in the fields of central and peripheral nervous system rescue, regeneration, restoration and plasticity in experimental and clinical disorders. In this way RNN helped advance the development of a range of neuropsychiatric intervention across a broad spectrum of approaches such as drugs, training (rehabilitation), psychotherapy or neuromodulation with current stimulation. Today, RNN remains a focused, innovative and viable source of scientific information in the neurosciences with high visibility in an ever changing world of academic publishing.
Analysis of hippocampus in rats with acute brain ischemia-reperfusion injury treated with leuprolide acetate, an agonist of GnRH
The hippocampus is highly vulnerable to damage in the brain ischemia-reperfusion injury model. Leuprolide acetate has been shown to promote neurological recovery after injury in various regions of the central nervous system.
A novel digital approach for post-stroke cognitive deficits: a pilot study
Cognitive dysfunctions after a brain stroke have a huge impact on patients' disability and activities of daily living. Prism adaptation (PA) is currently used in patients with right brain damage to improve lateralized spatial attentional deficits. Recent findings suggest that PA could also be useful for rehabilitation of other cognitive functions.
Feasibility of using fNIRS to explore motor-related regional haemodynamic signal changes in patients with sensorimotor impairment and healthy controls: A pilot study
While functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can provide insight into cortical brain activity during motor tasks in healthy and diseased populations, the feasibility of using fNIRS to assess haemoglobin-evoked responses to reanimated upper limb motor function in patients with tetraplegia remains unknown.
EMG Testing throughout behavioral recovery after rat sciatic nerve crush injury results in exuberant motoneuron dendritic hypertrophy
Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is the most common type of nerve trauma yet, while injured motoneurons exhibit a robust capacity for regeneration, behavioral recovery is protracted and typically poor. Neurotherapeutic approaches to PNI and repair have primarily focused on the enhancement of axonal regeneration, in terms of rate, axonal sprouting, and reconnection connectivity. Both electrical stimulation (ES) and treatment with androgens [e.g., testosterone propionate (TP)] have been demonstrated to enhance axonal sprouting, regeneration rate and functional recovery following PNI. To date, very little work has been done to examine the effects of ES and/or TP on dendritic morphology and organization within the spinal cord after PNI.
Differential effects of exercise and hormone treatment on spinal cord injury-induced changes in micturition and morphology of external urethral sphincter motoneurons
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in lesions that destroy tissue and spinal tracts, leading to deficits in locomotor and autonomic function. We have previously shown that after SCI, surviving motoneurons innervating hindlimb muscles exhibit extensive dendritic atrophy, which can be attenuated by treadmill training or treatment with gonadal hormones post-injury. We have also shown that following SCI, both exercise and treatment with gonadal hormones improve urinary function. Animals exercised with forced running wheel training show improved urinary function as measured by bladder cystometry and sphincter electromyography, and treatment with gonadal hormones improves voiding patterns as measured by metabolic cage testing.
Shock waves modulate corticospinal excitability: A proof of concept for further rehabilitation purposes?
Focal extracorporeal shock wave therapy (fESWT) is a physical therapy vastly studied and used for various musculoskeletal disorders. However, the effect of fESWT on central nervous system is still to be determined.
Effects of gait training on structural brain changes in Parkinson's disease
Gait training may lead to functional brain changes in Parkinson's disease (PD); however, there is a lack of studies investigating structural brain changes after gait training in PD.
Transcranial random noise stimulation to augment hand function in individuals with moderate-to-severe stroke: A pilot randomized clinical trial
Interventions to recover upper extremity (UE) function after moderate-to-severe stroke are limited. Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) is an emerging non-invasive technique to improve neuronal plasticity and may potentially augment functional outcomes when combined with existing interventions, such as functional electrical stimulation (FES).
Retinal ganglion cell and microvascular density loss in hereditary spastic paraplegia
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is characterized by progressive degeneration of distal axons in the long corticospinal tracts. Loss of retinal cells and microvascular networks has neither been suspected nor investigated. We concurrently examined the retinal microvasculature and retinal layer morphology in patients with HSP to assess whether retinal features may portray disease and its progression.
Corticospinal excitability during motor preparation of upper extremity reaches reflects flexor muscle synergies: A novel principal component-based motor evoked potential analyses
Previous research has shown that noninvasive brain stimulation can be used to study how the central nervous system (CNS) prepares the execution of a motor task. However, these previous studies have been limited to a single muscle or single degree of freedom movements (e.g., wrist flexion). It is currently unclear if the findings of these studies generalize to multi-joint movements involving multiple muscles, which may be influenced by kinematic redundancy and muscle synergies.
Hematopoietic Endothelial Progenitor cells enhance motor function and cortical motor map integrity following cerebral ischemia
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are recruited to ischemic areas in the brain and contribute to improved functional outcome in animals. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms of improvement following HSC administration post cerebral ischemia. To better understand how HSC effect post-stroke improvement, we examined the effect of HSC in ameliorating motor impairment and cortical dysfunction following cerebral ischemia.
The multifaceted effects of flavonoids on neuroplasticity
There has been a significant increase in the incidence of multiple neurodegenerative and terminal diseases in the human population with life expectancy increasing in the current times. This highlights the urgent need for a more comprehensive understanding of how different aspects of lifestyle, in particular diet, may affect neural functioning and consequently cognitive performance as well as in enhancing overall health. Flavonoids, found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and derived beverages, provide a new avenue of research that shows a promising influence on different aspects of brain function. However, despite the promising evidence, most bioactive compounds lack strong clinical research efficacy. In the current scoping review, we highlight the effects of Flavonoids on cognition and neural plasticity across vertebrates and invertebrates with special emphasis on the studies conducted in the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, which has emerged to be a functionally dynamic model for studies on learning and memory. In conclusion, we suggest future research directions and discuss the social, cultural, and ethnic dependencies of bioactive compounds that influence how these compounds are used and accepted globally. Bridging the gap between preclinical and clinical studies about the effects of bioactive natural compounds on brain health will surely lead to lifestyle choices such as dietary Flavonoids being used complementarily rather than as replacements to classical drugs bringing about a healthier future.
Sensory augmentation for a rapid motor task in a multisensory environment
Sensory substitution and augmentation systems (SSASy) seek to either replace or enhance existing sensory skills by providing a new route to access information about the world. Tests of such systems have largely been limited to untimed, unisensory tasks.
Long-term outcomes of plasma exchange versus intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial
Most previous studies comparing the effectiveness of Plasma Exchange (PE) or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in treating Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) have focused on the short-term outcome at around 1 month.
Retraction notice regarding several articles published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
Targeted neurorehabilitation strategies in post-stroke aphasia
Aphasia is a debilitating language impairment, affecting millions of people worldwide. About 40% of stroke survivors develop chronic aphasia, resulting in life-long disability.
Cortical visual impairment at birth can be improved rapidly by vision training in adulthood: A case study
Cortical visual impairment (CVI) is a severe loss of visual function caused by damage to the visual cortex or its afferents, often as a consequence of hypoxic insults during birth. It is one of the leading causes of vision loss in children, and it is most often permanent.
Integrating mind and body: Investigating differential activation of nodes of the default mode network
The default mode network (DMN) is a large-scale brain network tightly correlated with self and self-referential processing, activated by intrinsic tasks and deactivated by externally-directed tasks.
Comparative evaluation of rhFGF18 and rhGDF11 treatment in a transient ischemia stroke model
Pharmacological treatments for ischemic stroke remain limited to thrombolysis, which is associated with increased risk of potentially fatal hemorrhage. Treatments with Recombinant Human Fibroblast Growth Factor 18 (rhFGF18) and Growth and Differentiation Factor 11 (rhGDF11) appear promising based on different preclinical models. The goal of this study was to compare the effects of rhFGF18 and rhGDF11 directly on survival, behavioral deficits, and histological fingerprint of cerebral ischemia in the Wistar rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of stroke.
Immediate effects of insoles applied to the sound side lower extremity of patients with chronic hemiplegia during walking
Asymmetric gait patterns are mostly observed in hemiplegic stroke patients. These abnormal gait patterns resulting in abnormal speed, and decreased ability in daily of activity living.