Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New approach for graded compression spinal cord injuries in Rhesus macaque: method feasibility and preliminary observations.
- Journal:
- Journal of medical primatology
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Guízar-Sahagún, Gabriel et al.
- Affiliation:
- Research Unit for Neurological Diseases
Plain-English summary
Researchers are exploring a new way to study spinal cord injuries (SCI) in Rhesus macaques, which are primates that can provide insights similar to humans. They created different levels of spinal cord compression by using a balloon in the spine, and found that while some injuries caused little change, severe compression led to noticeable problems with movement. Interestingly, the monkeys showed some improvement in their ability to walk over 12 weeks, although they still couldn't grasp with their feet. The study suggests that this method could help in understanding spinal cord injuries better, but more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness with more severe cases.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Current models of spinal cord injury (SCI) have been ineffective for translational research. Primate blunt SCI, which more closely resembles human injury, could be a promising model to fill this gap. METHODS: Graded compression SCI was produced by inflating at T9 an epidural balloon as a function of spinal canal dimensions in a non-uniform group of monkeys. RESULTS: Sham injury and cord compression by canal invasion of 50-75% produced minimal morpho-functional alterations, if at all. Canal invasion of 90-100% resulted in proportional functional deficits. Unexpectedly, these animals showed spontaneous gradual recovery over a 12-week period achieving quadruped walking, although with persistent absence of foot grasping reflex. Histopathology revealed predominance of central cord damage that correlated with functional status. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results suggest that this model could potentially be a useful addition to translational work, but requires further validation by including animals with permanent injuries and expansion of replicates.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21732951/