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Journal of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Research
|
Volume 3
Page 43
Note:
allied
academies
J u n e 2 8 - 2 9 , 2 0 1 8 | D u b l i n , I r e l a n d
Joint Event on
NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
&
International Conference on
International Conference on
J Neurol Neurorehabil Res 2018, Volume 3
BENEFITS OF ACUTE INTERMITTENT HYPOXIA FOR TREATING
SPINAL CORD INJURY
Atiq Hassan
Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao
M
ost spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in humans and animals are incomplete and partial recovery arises because of plasticity within
neural circuitry. Many experimental therapies have been used to improve recovery after SCI, acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH-
brief exposures to reduced O
2
levels alternating with normal O
2
levels) in one of them. AIH treatment elicits plasticity in respiratory
and non-respiratory spinal systems in experimental animals. AIH treatment has also been shown to improve walking abilities in
persons with chronic incomplete SCI. In this study, I have examined the effect of AIH treatment, alone or in combination with
motor training, on functional recovery and the effect of AIH on the expression of plasticity- and hypoxia-related proteins in the
spinal cords of SCI rats. Rats were trained to cross a horizontal ladder and foot slip errors were measured before surgery, four
weeks post-surgery, each day of AIH treatment, and one, two, four and eight weeks after treatment. AIH treatment consisted of 10
episodes of AIH: (5 min 11% O
2
: 5 min 21% O
2
) for seven days. Motor training +AIH-treated rats made fewer foot slips on the ladder
task compared to normoxia-treated control rats after four days of treatment and this improvement was sustained for 8 weeks
post-treatment. Importantly, AIH treatment + motor training also increased the expression of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, Vascular
endothelial growth factor, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tyrosine kinase B receptors and phospho-trkB in spinal motor neurons
in SCI rats compared to normoxia-treated SCI rats. Taken together with the promising findings from human SCI studies, the results
of this study suggest that AIH has potential as an effective therapy to restore motor function after nervous system injury.
atiqhassan@gmail.com