Grant: Operating Grant

According to the Canadian Paraplegic Association, 35 persons/million or 1,050/year in Canada suffer spinal cord injuries. Approximately 36,000 Canadians are currently living with spinal cord injury. A major goal for spinal cord injury research is the restoration of locomotion. My research focuses on defining of the neural pathways descending from the brain that are responsible for initiation of locomotion, and on identification of the nerve cells of the spinal cord that are activated by these pathways. This knowledge is required for development of new strategies for restoring walking after spinal cord injury. We have defined a pathway from the brain to the spinal cord of rodents that is involved in the initiation of locomotion, and we have shown that this pathway activates spinal neurons via specific receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine. This research is designed to define the anatomical details of this pathway, to characterize the properties of the neurons that make up this pathway so that they can potentially be controlled with drugs or other interventions. I will also determine the properties and roles in locomotion of the target neurons that are activated by this pathway in the spinal cord. In spinal cord injury, these cells can be targeted for control by interventions such as drug applications and electrical stimulation to aid in the restoration of locomotion.