Effects of Traditional and Modified Rehabilitation on Functional Improvement Following Stroke in a Mouse Model
Major
Neuroscience
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Neuroscience
Expected Graduation Date
2022
Location
CNS Atrium, Easel 28
Start Date
4-9-2022 11:15 AM
End Date
4-9-2022 12:30 PM
Abstract
Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with increasing prevalence every year. It is imperative to seek improvements in effective rehabilitation to regain and preserve function in affected limbs. Current human rehabilitation often focuses on compensatory training of the unimpaired limb in order to return to independent daily activities. One way to investigate rehabilitative strategies is through the use of animal models. Mice have been useful models for identifying effective methods for stroke rehabilitation because of their digit representation in the motor cortex. Animal rehabilitation has shown significant improvement in ability to reach preoperative performance levels of the impaired limb. The current study aimed to determine if there were any beneficial effects to training the paretic limb in two short daily sessions as opposed to one longer session. Mice were trained for 35 days preoperatively and then received a unilateral photothrombotic stroke. Postoperatively, mice either received traditional training (100 reaches or 15 minutes daily), modified training (50 reaches or 15 minutes twice daily), or no rehabilitative training (control). Recovery was assessed at the end of each week of postoperative training using identical methods for all groups. Results indicate that lower intensity modified training may be as effective as traditional training.
Effects of Traditional and Modified Rehabilitation on Functional Improvement Following Stroke in a Mouse Model
CNS Atrium, Easel 28
Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with increasing prevalence every year. It is imperative to seek improvements in effective rehabilitation to regain and preserve function in affected limbs. Current human rehabilitation often focuses on compensatory training of the unimpaired limb in order to return to independent daily activities. One way to investigate rehabilitative strategies is through the use of animal models. Mice have been useful models for identifying effective methods for stroke rehabilitation because of their digit representation in the motor cortex. Animal rehabilitation has shown significant improvement in ability to reach preoperative performance levels of the impaired limb. The current study aimed to determine if there were any beneficial effects to training the paretic limb in two short daily sessions as opposed to one longer session. Mice were trained for 35 days preoperatively and then received a unilateral photothrombotic stroke. Postoperatively, mice either received traditional training (100 reaches or 15 minutes daily), modified training (50 reaches or 15 minutes twice daily), or no rehabilitative training (control). Recovery was assessed at the end of each week of postoperative training using identical methods for all groups. Results indicate that lower intensity modified training may be as effective as traditional training.