Longitudinal assessment of recovery after spinal cord injury with behavioral measures and diffusion, quantitative magnetization transfer and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

ABSTRACT: Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are a leading cause of disability and can severely impact the quality of life. However, to date, the processes of spontaneous repair of damaged spinal cord remain incompletely understood, partly due to a lack of appropriate longitudinal tracking methods. Noninvasive, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides potential biomarkers for the comprehensive evaluation of spontaneous repair after SCI. In this study in rats, a clinically relevant contusion injury was introduced at the lumbar level that impairs both hindlimb motor and sensory functions. Quantitative MRI measurements were acquired at baseline and serially post-SCI for up to 2 wk. The progressions of injury and spontaneous recovery in both white and gray matter were tracked longitudinally us

SUBMITTER: Wu TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7155919 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature