Grant: Operating Grant

Networks of neurons within the spinal cord that are involved in producing movements of the limbs normally receive descending commands from the brain as well as signals from receptors located in joints, muscles, and skin. Spinal neurons must integrate and process this information on a continuous basis to smoothly control movement. After spinal cord injury, inputs from the brain are lost or disrupted and networks of neurons within the spinal cord must learn to work without them and with greater reliance on signals from the periphery. The loss of descending control often dramatically impairs the ability to walk and produces undesirable changes in function that can lead to abnormal motor behaviours, such as spasticity. This is because the processing of sensory inputs from the periphery by spinal neurons is modified. A major obstacle in repairing spinal cord injuries is our poor understanding of the regulation of spinal neurons that generate motor behaviours, both before and after damage. My research aims to understand how sensory inputs from the skin regulate networks of neurons within the spinal cord that generate simple (e.g. reflexes) and more complex (e.g. locomotion) motor behaviours. Encouraging recent results indicate that mechanically stimulating the skin overlying the back can reduce spasticity by interacting with spinal networks that produce rhythmic bursting. This is of obvious clinical interest because it is a non-invasive and non-pharmacological approach that could alleviate symptoms of spasticity while promoting functional recovery. My research will provide a better understanding of the control of spinal networks in a freely behaving animal model of spinal cord injury. I expect that results will translate into clinical solutions that improve the lives of spinal cord-injured humans.