Journal article
Changes in intra- and interlimb reflexes from hindlimb cutaneous afferents after staggered thoracic lateral hemisections during locomotion in cats
The Journal of physiology, v 602(9), pp 1987-2017
01 May 2024
PMID: 38593215
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Abstract
When the foot dorsum contacts an obstacle during locomotion, cutaneous afferents signal central circuits to coordinate muscle activity in the four limbs. Spinal cord injury disrupts these interactions, impairing balance and interlimb coordination. We evoked cutaneous reflexes by electrically stimulating left and right superficial peroneal nerves before and after two thoracic lateral hemisections placed on opposite sides of the cord at 9- to 13-week interval in seven adult cats (4 males and 3 females). We recorded reflex responses in ten hindlimb and five forelimb muscles bilaterally. After the first (right T5-T6) and second (left T10-T11) hemisections, coordination of the fore- and hindlimbs was altered and/or became less consistent. After the second hemisection, cats required balance assistance to perform quadrupedal locomotion. Short-latency reflex responses in homonymous and crossed hindlimb muscles largely remained unaffected after staggered hemisections. However, mid- and long-latency homonymous and crossed responses in both hindlimbs occurred less frequently after staggered hemisections. In forelimb muscles, homolateral and diagonal mid- and long-latency response occurrence significantly decreased after the first and second hemisections. In all four limbs, however, when present, short-, mid- and long-latency responses maintained their phase-dependent modulation. We also observed reduced durations of short-latency inhibitory homonymous responses in left hindlimb extensors early after the first hemisection and delayed short-latency responses in the right ipsilesional hindlimb after the first hemisection. Therefore, changes in cutaneous reflex responses correlated with impaired balance/stability and interlimb coordination during locomotion after spinal cord injury. Restoring reflex transmission could be used as a biomarker to facilitate locomotor recovery. KEY POINTS: Cutaneous afferent inputs coordinate muscle activity in the four limbs during locomotion when the foot dorsum contacts an obstacle. Thoracic spinal cord injury disrupts communication between spinal locomotor centres located at cervical and lumbar levels, impairing balance and limb coordination. We investigated cutaneous reflexes during quadrupedal locomotion by electrically stimulating the superficial peroneal nerve bilaterally, before and after staggered lateral thoracic hemisections of the spinal cord in cats. We showed a loss/reduction of mid- and long-latency responses in all four limbs after staggered hemisections, which correlated with altered coordination of the fore- and hindlimbs and impaired balance. Targeting cutaneous reflex pathways projecting to the four limbs could help develop therapeutic approaches aimed at restoring transmission in ascending and descending spinal pathways.
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Details
- Title
- Changes in intra- and interlimb reflexes from hindlimb cutaneous afferents after staggered thoracic lateral hemisections during locomotion in cats
- Creators
- Stephen Mari - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeCharly G Lecomte - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeAngèle N Merlet - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeJohannie Audet - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeSirine Yassine - Université de SherbrookeOussama Eddaoui - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeGabriel Genois - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeCharlène Nadeau - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeJonathan Harnie - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de SherbrookeIlya A Rybak - Drexel UniversityBoris I Prilutsky - Georgia Institute of TechnologyAlain Frigon - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke
- Publication Details
- The Journal of physiology, v 602(9), pp 1987-2017
- Grant note
- R01 NS110550 / NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurobiology and Anatomy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001198767200001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85190302065
- Other Identifier
- 991021867245004721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Neurosciences
- Physiology