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Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2021 Jun 10;7(1):50. Epub 2021 Jun 10.

Spinal Cord Injury Service, South Texas Veteran's Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, USA.

Study Design: Pre-post intervention.

Objectives: 1. To test whether replacement of oral anticholinergic (AC) agents with mirabegron for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) yields improved cognitive function in older persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Jun 9;11(1):12227. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

URPhyM - NARILIS, Université de Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium.

xCT is the specific subunit of System xc-, an antiporter importing cystine while releasing glutamate. Although xCT expression has been found in the spinal cord, its expression and role after spinal cord injury (SCI) remain unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the role of xCT on functional and histological outcomes following SCI induced in wild-type (xCT+/+) and in xCT-deficient mice (xCT-/-). Read More

Eur Spine J 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Ospedale Bambino Gesù, Roma, Italia.

Purpose: The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) Studies have estimated that low back pain is one of the costliest ailments worldwide. Subsequent to GBD publications, leadership of the four largest global spine societies agreed to form SPINE20. This article introduces the concept of SPINE20, the recommendations, and the future of this global advocacy group linked to G20 annual summits. Read More

Health Psychol Behav Med 2021 Apr 12;9(1):315-321. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Gerontology Research Center, Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.

Context: Extant literature highlights how many individuals display resilient trajectories following spinal cord injury (SCI), exhibiting positive psychological adjustment. In the absence of a universal definition, it is agreed that resilience is demonstrated when individuals have better-than-projected outcomes when considering the level of adversity experienced. Previous research has focused on traits connected to vulnerability and maladaptive trajectories following SCI rather than the psychosocial factors that contribute to resilience, which can be cultivated over the lifetime. Read More

PLoS One 2021 4;16(6):e0252965. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

We investigated the effects of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) on locomotor function, motor plasticity, and axonal regeneration in an animal model of incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Aneurysm clips with different compression forces were applied extradurally around the spinal cord at T10. Motor plasticity was evaluated by examining the motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Read More

Rehabilitacion (Madr) 2021 May 31. Epub 2021 May 31.

Unidad de Lesionados Medulares, Unidad de Rehabilitación, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España.

Objective: To determine the quality of life of spinal cord injuries with more than 10 years of evolution. Assess the prevalence of secondary complications, and their relationship with quality of life and time since the injury.

Patients And Method Design: Cross-sectional epidemiological study. Read More

Sci China Life Sci 2021 May 28. Epub 2021 May 28.

State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, China.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the spinal cord hold great potential for repair after spinal cord injury (SCI). The ependyma in the central canal (CC) region has been considered as the NSCs source in the spinal cord. However, the ependyma function as NSCs after SCI is still under debate. Read More

Front Mol Biosci 2021 14;8:657258. Epub 2021 May 14.

Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.

Approximately one-third of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients develop delayed cerebral vasospasm (DCV) 3-10 days after aneurysm rupture resulting in additional, permanent neurologic disability. Currently, no validated biomarker is available to determine the risk of DCV in aSAH patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in virtually all human diseases, including aSAH, and are found in extracellular biofluids including plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Read More

Front Immunol 2021 11;12:628156. Epub 2021 May 11.

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.

Brain myeloid cells, include infiltrating macrophages and resident microglia, play an essential role in responding to and inducing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) implicate many AD casual and risk genes enriched in brain myeloid cells. Coordinated arginine metabolism through arginase 1 () is critical for brain myeloid cells to perform biological functions, whereas dysregulated arginine metabolism disrupts them. Read More

Spine J 2021 May 20. Epub 2021 May 20.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Background Context: Individuals living with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are at heightened risk for a number of chronic health conditions such as secondary comorbidities that may develop or be influenced by the injury, the presence of impairment, and/or the process of aging.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of and adjusted hazards for cardiovascular and metabolic (cardiometabolic) morbidities among adults following SCI compared to adults without SCIs.

Study Design/setting: Longitudinal cohort from a nationwide insurance claims database. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 05 17;13(10):14131-14158. Epub 2021 May 17.

Department of Hematology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Extranodal diffuse large B cell lymphoma (EN DLBCL) often leads to poor outcomes, while the underlying mechanism remains unclear. As immune imbalance plays an important role in lymphoma pathogenesis, we hypothesized that immune genes might be involved in the development of EN DLBCL. Ninety-three differentially expressed immune genes (DEIGs) were identified from 1168 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between tumor tissues of lymph node DLBCL (LN DLBCL) and EN DLBCL patients in TCGA database. Read More

J Clin Orthop Trauma 2021 Jun 8;17:273-279. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Medical Director and Chief of Spine Unit, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi, India.

Introduction: Pressure injury (PI) is a potentially serious condition that is often a consequence of other medical illnesses. It remains a challenge for the clinicians and the researcher to fully understand and develop a technique for comprehending pathogenicity, prevention and treatment. Several animal models have been created to understand the multifaceted cellular and biochemical processes of PI. Read More

J Neuroinflammation 2021 May 13;18(1):113. Epub 2021 May 13.

Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.

Background: Sex and age are emerging as influential variables that affect spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery. Despite a changing demographic towards older age at the time of SCI, the effects of sex or age on inflammation remain to be elucidated. This study determined the sex- and age-dependency of the innate immune response acutely after SCI. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 05 11;13(9):13211-13224. Epub 2021 May 11.

Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.

Objectives: The spinal cord rarely repairs itself when damaged; however, methods for encouraging nerves to regrow are on the horizon. Although circular RNAs (circRNAs) contribute to various biological processes, including neuronal processes, their functions in the subacute phase of spinal cord injury (SCI) have not been elucidated. In this study, we identified a novel circRNA, named CircPlek, with increased expression in spinal tissues after SCI. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 05 6;13(9):12973-12995. Epub 2021 May 6.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.

The ketogenic diet has been widely used in the treatment of various nervous system and metabolic-related diseases. Our previous research found that a ketogenic diet exerts a protective effect and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury. However, the mechanism of action is still unclear. Read More

Cytotherapy 2021 May 10;23(5):373-380. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Institute of Medical Biology and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address:

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have been widely tested against many diseases, with more than 1000 registered clinical trials worldwide. Despite many setbacks, MSCs have been approved for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease and Crohn disease. However, it is increasingly clear that MSCs exert their therapeutic functions in a paracrine manner through the secretion of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) of 50-200 nm in diameter. Read More

Molecules 2021 Apr 1;26(7). Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.

The neuropeptide galanin (GAL), which is expressed in limbic brain structures, has a strong impact on the regulation of mood and behavior. GAL exerts its effects via three G protein-coupled receptors (GAL-R). Little is known about the effects of aging and loss of GAL-Rs on hippocampal-mediated processes connected to neurogenesis, such as learning, memory recall and anxiety, and cell proliferation and survival in the dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG) in mice. Read More

Front Cell Neurosci 2021 9;15:662971. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Anesthesiology and Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.

The voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is a newly discovered ion channel that is highly conserved among species. It is known that Hv1 is not only expressed in peripheral immune cells but also one of the major ion channels expressed in tissue-resident microglia of the central nervous systems (CNS). One key role for Hv1 is its interaction with NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) to regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytosolic pH. Read More

Geroscience 2021 Jun 24;43(3):1265-1281. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Division of Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 1060 Carmack Road, Room 207, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.

Pathological age-related loss of skeletal muscle strength and mass contribute to impaired physical function in older adults. Factors that promote the development of these conditions remain incompletely understood, impeding development of effective and specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Inconclusive evidence across species suggests disruption of action potential signal transmission at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the crucial connection between the nervous and muscular systems, as a possible contributor to age-related muscle dysfunction. Read More

Neurotherapeutics 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.

Adult neurogenesis is a target for brain rejuvenation as well as regeneration in aging and disease. Numerous approaches showed efficacy to elevate neurogenesis in rodents, yet translation into therapies has not been achieved. Here, we introduce a novel human TGFβ-RII (Transforming Growth Factor-Receptor Type II) specific LNA-antisense oligonucleotide ("locked nucleotide acid"-"NVP-13"), which reduces TGFβ-RII expression and downstream receptor signaling in human neuronal precursor cells (ReNcell CX® cells) in vitro. Read More

Exp Mol Med 2021 Apr 15;53(4):654-666. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital affiliated with Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Senile osteoporosis can cause bone fragility and increased fracture risks and has been one of the most prevalent and severe diseases affecting the elderly population. Bone formation depends on the proper osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in the bone marrow microenvironment, which is generated by the functional relationship among different cell types in the bone marrow. With aging, bone marrow provides signals that repress osteogenesis. Read More

Brain Res Bull 2021 Jul 10;172:31-42. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), triggers neurodegenerative changes in the spinal cord, and simultaneously alters oscillatory manifestations of motor cortex. However, these disturbances may not be limited to motor areas and other parts such as hippocampus, which is vital in the neurogenesis and cognitive function, may be affected in the neurogenic and oscillatory manners. Addressing this remarkable complication of SCI, we evaluated the hippocampal neurogenesis and rhythms through acute phase of SCI. Read More

Maturitas 2021 May 4;147:14-18. Epub 2021 Mar 4.

Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland; Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in people with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite well-acknowledged sex and gender differences in CMD in the general population, they remain insufficiently studied in persons with SCI. To describe the landscape of sex and gender in SCI research, we searched the literature for systematic reviews on cardiometabolic health in this population. Read More

Spinal Cord 2021 Jun 7;59(6):700-704. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Aging women face increased risks of both breast cancer and spinal cord injury (SCI). Unique treatment challenges for this population warrant consideration. Despite advances in breast cancer treatments, significant adverse health outcomes continue to occur. Read More

World Neurosurg 2021 Jun 23;150:e686-e695. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hokkaido Spinal Cord Injury Center, Bibai, Hokkaido, Japan.

Objective: To identify the morphologic changes in the vertebral artery (VA) subsequent to cervical spine degeneration and aging and to investigate the risk factors for iatrogenic VA injury or occlusion.

Methods: Eighty-eight consecutive patients (176 bilateral VAs) were retrospectively analyzed using radiographs, computed tomography, and computed tomography angiography images. The Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) score and its modified subscores were used to grade the severity of degenerative changes in the cervical spine. Read More

J Orthop Surg Res 2021 Mar 27;16(1):222. Epub 2021 Mar 27.

School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University, No. 10, Jiaomen North Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100068, People's Republic of China.

Background: Quite a few traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) were caused by falls. However, the comparison of different causes of TSCI or the epidemiological characteristics of TSCI caused by falls of different heights are rare. This study investigated the epidemiological characteristics of TSCI caused by falls and conducted a comparison between low falls and high falls. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2021 8;13:650038. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Center of Implant Dentistry, School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang, China.

Mitochondria are organelles responsible for bioenergetic metabolism, calcium homeostasis, and signal transmission essential for neurons due to their high energy consumption. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that mitochondria play a key role in axon degeneration and regeneration under physiological and pathological conditions. Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs at an early stage of axon degeneration and involves oxidative stress, energy deficiency, imbalance of mitochondrial dynamics, defects in mitochondrial transport, and mitophagy dysregulation. Read More

Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021 03 23;9(1):49. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.

Astrocytes with intracellular accumulations of misfolded phosphorylated tau protein have been observed in advanced-stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and in other neurodegenerative conditions. There is a growing awareness that astrocytic tau inclusions are also relatively common in the brains of persons over 70 years of age-affecting approximately one-third of autopsied individuals. The pathologic hallmarks of aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) include phosphorylated tau protein within thorn-shaped astrocytes (TSA) in subpial, subependymal, perivascular, and white matter regions, whereas granular-fuzzy astrocytes are often seen in gray matter. Read More

Proc Inst Mech Eng H 2021 Jul 24;235(7):735-742. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Department of Mechanical, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

Physical problems caused by fractures, aging, stroke, and accidents can reduce foot power; these, in the long term, can dwindle the muscles of the waist, thighs, and legs. These conditions provide the basis for the invalidism of the harmed people. In this study, a saddle-walker was designed and evaluated to help people suffering from spinal cord injury and patients with lower limb weakness. Read More

Adv Exp Med Biol 2021 Mar 22. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Metabolomics and Genomics Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Studying aging, as a physiological process that can cause various pathological phenotypes, has attracted lots of attention due to its increasing burden and prevalence. Therefore, understanding its mechanism to find novel therapeutic alternatives for age-related disorders such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases is essential. Stem cell senescence plays an important role in aging. Read More