Involuntary motor activities such as spasms arise from hyperreflexia in about 70% of individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Despite this prevalence and the negative impact on health and safety, it is unclear what determines the severity of the spasms that develop. This study investigated the impact of injury severity and functional outcome on hyperreflexia intensity in a mouse model of SCI. Hyperreflexia of awake, behaving mice was examined by recording motor outputs ex vivo and in vivo in response to electrical sensory stimuli. A lack of difference in hyperreflexia between the injury groups and the functional groups suggests that hyperreflexia arising from a complete transection can be just as severe as from a milder SCI. When serotonin (5HT) was added to the ex vivo preparation, 5HT increased the intensity of spasms regardless of injury group.

Creator

• Shelton, Owen Adio

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-3kzt-7f11

Subject

• Physiology
• Biology
• Neurosciences

Language

• en

Alternate Identifier

• http://dissertations.umi.com/northwestern:16444
• etdadmin_upload_970159

Keyword

• Movement Disorder
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Serotonin

Date created

• 2023-01-01

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright