Sensory and Motor Responses to Spinal Cord Injury

摘要

The goal of Dr. Yezierski's research was to gain a better understanding of the anatomical, neurochemical and functional changes that occur within the central nervous system following spinal cord injury. During the funding period, efforts focused on changes within the injured spinal cord as well as on neurons at supraspinal sites. To survey the functional status of neurons at sites in cortical and subcortical structures three studies were initiated. These included efforts to evaluate changes in: (a) blood flow; (b) metabolic status; and (c) genetic expression in diencephalic structures following SCI. An investigation was completed of the physiological changes in spinal sensory neurons following injury. A study was also completed in which a comparison was made between the excitotoxic properties of NMDA and AMPA in an effort to further characterize the pathological consequence of different EAA receptor agonists in SCI.