Research Report Abstracts - Gesundheit

WPT2011, Research Report Abstracts eS1209
tural University, Department of Physical Therapy, Koshigata
City, Saitama, Japan
Purpose: The aims of this study were to clarify whether the
timing of an experimental spinal cord injury (SCI) influences
motor recovery and whether the time-dependent functionsparing
phenomenon relates to the difference in damages
and/or plastic changes in the descending serotonergic tract.
Relevance: Information on the mechanism inducing or
reducing motor recovery depending on the timing of injury
could help to refine and develop physical therapy strategies
for SCI patients.
Participants: A total of 57 four-week-old (4-WO group) and
62 twelve-week-old (12-WO group) male Wistar rats were
used. Motor development in rats is complete at the end of the
third postnatal week. Therefore, four-week-old rats have less
adulthood experience after the completion of development
than the twelve-week-old rats.
Methods: The spinal cord was compressed at T8 with a surgical
clip. To assess motor function and damages and/or plastic
changes of the descending tract, the following three analyses
were performed up to the 42nd day after beginning the
experiments. First, locomotor and postural control functions
were assessed with the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan locomotor
rating scale and inclined plane test, respectively. Second, the
lumbosacral projecting serotonergic neurons that exist in the
medulla oblongata and are responsible for both locomotion
and postural control were observed and counted using retrograde
tracing and immunohistological techniques. Third,
the degree of serotonergic sprouting was calculated through
quantifying the cross-sectional area of residual myelin at the
compressed site and the density of the serotonergic fiber in
the lumbar cord gray matter.
Analysis: Time-dependent influences were tested by the nonparametric
analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the
Steel-Dwass post hoc test for locomotor function or by the
parametric ANOVA followed by the Tukey post hoc test for
postural control function, number of serotonergic neurons,
and degree of serotonergic sprouting.
Results: Both locomotor and postural control functions of
the 4-WO SCI group showed faster and greater motor recovery
as compared to those of the 12-WO SCI group. While
the motor recovery differed between the groups, the timing
of the SCI showed no difference in damages and/or plastic
changes in the descending serotonergic system. Although the
SCI caused a decrease in the number of the lumbosacral projecting
serotonergic neurons, the timing of injury did not alter
their residual number. A SCI-induced serotonergic sprouting
in the lumbar cord gray matter occurred; however, the timing
of the injury did not influence the time course and scale of
sprouting.
Conclusions: A time-dependent function-sparing phenomenon
is observed in a SCI in the post-developmental
stage. Time-dependent differences in motor recovery cannot
be explained through changes in the serotonergic system,
because the timing of the injury incurred no differences in
both damages and plasticity in this system.
Implications: Timing of injury has been reported to
affect recovery in human subjects, so rats at early postdevelopmental
stage would be useful to study the mechanism
of this phenomenon.
Keywords: Timing of spinal cord injury; Motor function;
Serotonin
Funding acknowledgements: This study was supported by
Intensive Research Fund of the Prefectural University of
Hiroshima.
Ethics approval: The ethical committees of both the Prefectural
University of Hiroshima and Hiroshima University
approved all the experimental procedures.
Research Report Poster Display
Number: RR-PO-306-21-Wed Wednesday 22 June 12:00
RAI: Exhibit Halls2&3
EFFECTS OF DYNAMIC ELASTOMERIC FABRIC
ANKLE FOOT ORTHOSES FOR PARALYTIC
FOOTDROP IN PEDIATRIC SIBLINGS WITH
CHARCOT-MARIE-TOOTH DISEASE
Takeuchi C. 1 , Suzuki A. 2 , Itomi K. 3 , Hattori T. 4
1Aichi Children’s Health and Medical Center, Rehabilitation,
Obu, Aichi, Japan, 2Matsumoto P&O Co., Ltd., Komaki,
Aichi, Japan, 3Aichi Children’s Health and Medical Center,
Pediatric Neurology, Obu, Aichi, Japan, 4Aichi Children’s
Health and Medical Center, Orthopedic Surgery, Obu, Aichi,
Japan
Purpose: To verify the effects of Dynamic Elastomeric Fabric
Ankle Foot Orthoses (DEFO-Socks) to paralytic footdrop
on the basis of clinical evaluation including 3-dimension
walking analysis.
Relevance: This study will make some contribution to selection
of brace intervention for children with irreversible ankle
problem.
Participants: Two siblings with paralytic footdrop due to
hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy were selected.
Case 1 is a 4-year-old boy with absence of TA, EHL, ED
and peroneal muscle strengths, weakness of gastrocnemius
and soleus muscle strengths, and without contracture of ankle
joints. His gait ability with typical steppage was achieved at
the age of 13 months without supporting equipment. Case 2
is a 2-year-old girl with weakness of all calf muscles. Her gait
ability was developed until age of 15 months with deformity
of talipes cavus and varus. Their father has had one-sided
footdrop by nature with unknown etiology. He used plastic
AFO in his childhood, but it did not satisfy in his living, so
he refused to make plastic AFOs for his children.
Methods: DEFO-Socks for preventing footdrop and stabilizing
ankle-foot structure were made to both legs of two
Cases. Threefold/twofold Dorsi-flexion reinforcements and