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Scheuber MI, Guidolin C, Martins S, Sartori AM, Hofer AS, Schwab ME. Electrical stimulation of the cuneiform nucleus enhances the effects of rehabilitative training on locomotor recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1352742. [PMID: 38595973 PMCID: PMC11002271 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1352742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Most human spinal cord injuries are anatomically incomplete, leaving some fibers still connecting the brain with the sublesional spinal cord. Spared descending fibers of the brainstem motor control system can be activated by deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the cuneiform nucleus (CnF), a subnucleus of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR). The MLR is an evolutionarily highly conserved structure which initiates and controls locomotion in all vertebrates. Acute electrical stimulation experiments in female adult rats with incomplete spinal cord injury conducted in our lab showed that CnF-DBS was able to re-establish a high degree of locomotion five weeks after injury, even in animals with initially very severe functional deficits and white matter lesions up to 80-95%. Here, we analyzed whether CnF-DBS can be used to support medium-intensity locomotor training and long-term recovery in rats with large but incomplete spinal cord injuries. Rats underwent rehabilitative training sessions three times per week in an enriched environment, either with or without CnF-DBS supported hindlimb stepping. After 4 weeks, animals that trained under CnF-DBS showed a higher level of locomotor performance than rats that trained comparable distances under non-stimulated conditions. The MLR does not project to the spinal cord directly; one of its main output targets is the gigantocellular reticular nucleus in the medulla oblongata. Long-term electrical stimulation of spared reticulospinal fibers after incomplete spinal cord injury via the CnF could enhance reticulospinal anatomical rearrangement and in this way lead to persistent improvement of motor function. By analyzing the spared, BDA-labeled giganto-spinal fibers we found that their gray matter arborization density after discontinuation of CnF-DBS enhanced training was lower in the lumbar L2 and L5 spinal cord in stimulated as compared to unstimulated animals, suggesting improved pruning with stimulation-enhanced training. An on-going clinical study in chronic paraplegic patients investigates the effects of CnF-DBS on locomotor capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam I. Scheuber
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- ETH Phenomics Center, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carolina Guidolin
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- ETH Phenomics Center, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Suzi Martins
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- ETH Phenomics Center, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea M. Sartori
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- ETH Phenomics Center, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna-Sophie Hofer
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- ETH Phenomics Center, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin E. Schwab
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- ETH Phenomics Center, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Noga BR, Whelan PJ. The Mesencephalic Locomotor Region: Beyond Locomotor Control. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:884785. [PMID: 35615623 PMCID: PMC9124768 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.884785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) was discovered several decades ago in the cat. It was functionally defined based on the ability of low threshold electrical stimuli within a region comprising the cuneiform and pedunculopontine nucleus to evoke locomotion. Since then, similar regions have been found in diverse vertebrate species, including the lamprey, skate, rodent, pig, monkey, and human. The MLR, while often viewed under the lens of locomotion, is involved in diverse processes involving the autonomic nervous system, respiratory system, and the state-dependent activation of motor systems. This review will discuss the pedunculopontine nucleus and cuneiform nucleus that comprises the MLR and examine their respective connectomes from both an anatomical and functional angle. From a functional perspective, the MLR primes the cardiovascular and respiratory systems before the locomotor activity occurs. Inputs from a variety of higher structures, and direct outputs to the monoaminergic nuclei, allow the MLR to be able to respond appropriately to state-dependent locomotion. These state-dependent effects are roughly divided into escape and exploratory behavior, and the MLR also can reinforce the selection of these locomotor behaviors through projections to adjacent structures such as the periaqueductal gray or to limbic and cortical regions. Findings from the rat, mouse, pig, and cat will be discussed to highlight similarities and differences among diverse species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Noga
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Brian R. Noga Patrick J. Whelan
| | - Patrick J. Whelan
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Brian R. Noga Patrick J. Whelan
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Parkinson’s Disease and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Particularities of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Regarding Pathogenesis and Treatment. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10051000. [PMID: 35625737 PMCID: PMC9138688 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating data suggest that chronic neuroinflammation-mediated neurodegeneration is a significant contributing factor for progressive neuronal and glial cell death in age-related neurodegenerative pathology. Furthermore, it could be encountered as long-term consequences in some viral infections, including post-COVID-19 Parkinsonism-related chronic sequelae. The current systematic review is focused on a recent question aroused during the pandemic’s successive waves: are there post-SARS-CoV-2 immune-mediated reactions responsible for promoting neurodegeneration? Does the host’s dysregulated immune counter-offensive contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, emerging as Parkinson’s disease, in a complex interrelation between genetic and epigenetic risk factors? A synthetic and systematic literature review was accomplished based on the ”Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Principles Reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) methodology, including registration on the specific online platform: International prospective register of systematic reviews—PROSPERO, no. 312183. Initially, 1894 articles were detected. After fulfilling the five steps of the selection methodology, 104 papers were selected for this synthetic review. Documentation was enhanced with a supplementary 47 bibliographic resources identified in the literature within a non-standardized search connected to the subject. As a final step of the PRISMA method, we have fulfilled a Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome-Time (PICOT)/Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome-Study type (PICOS)—based metanalysis of clinical trials identified as connected to our search, targeting the outcomes of rehabilitative kinesitherapeutic interventions compared to clinical approaches lacking such kind of treatment. Accordingly, we identified 10 clinical trials related to our article. The multi/interdisciplinary conventional therapy of Parkinson’s disease and non-conventional multitarget approach to an integrative treatment was briefly analyzed. This article synthesizes the current findings on the pathogenic interference between the dysregulated complex mechanisms involved in aging, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration, focusing on Parkinson’s disease and the acute and chronic repercussions of COVID-19. Time will tell whether COVID-19 neuroinflammatory events could trigger long-term neurodegenerative effects and contribute to the worsening and/or explosion of new cases of PD. The extent of the interrelated neuropathogenic phenomenon remains obscure, so further clinical observations and prospective longitudinal cohort studies are needed.
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Yang H, Liu WV, Wang S, Yang W, Liu C, Wen Z, Hu L, Guo J, Fan G, Luo X, Zha Y. Freezing of Gait in Multiple System Atrophy. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:833287. [PMID: 35462702 PMCID: PMC9024348 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.833287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and PurposeFreezing of gait (FOG) is a common gait disturbance phenomenon in multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients. The current investigation assessed the incidence FOG in a cross-sectional clinical study, and clinical correlations associated with it.MethodsNinety-nine MSA patients from three hospitals in China were consecutively enrolled in the study. Eight patients were subsequently excluded from the analysis due to incomplete information. The prevalence of FOG symptoms in the MSA cohort was determined, and clinical manifestations in MSA patients with and without FOG were assessed.ResultsOf 91 MSA patients, 60 (65.93%) exhibited FOG. The incidence of FOG increased with disease duration and motor severity and was correlated with modified Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) stages [odds ratio (OR), 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.33–3.92], longer disease duration (OR, 0.54, 95% CI, 0.37–0.78), higher Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) score (OR, 0.96, 95% CI, 0.93–0.99), MSA-cerebellum subtype (OR, 2.99, 95% CI, 1.22–7.33), levodopa-equivalent dose (LDED) (OR, 0.998, 95% CI, 0.997–1.00), and higher Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score (OR, 0.80, 95% CI, 0.72–0.89) (logistic regression). Motor dysfunction was significantly positively associated with lower quality of life scores (p < 0.01).ConclusionFOG is a common symptom in MSA patients and it is correlated with poor quality of life, disease progression and severity, levodopa-equivalent dose, and cerebellum impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaguang Yang
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Shanshan Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wenbin Yang
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Changsheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhi Wen
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lanhua Hu
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinxia Guo
- MR Research, GE Healthcare, Beijing, China
| | - Guoguang Fan
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoguang Luo
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of South University of Science and Technology, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoguang Luo,
| | - Yunfei Zha
- Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Yunfei Zha,
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Noga BR, Guest JD. Combined neuromodulatory approaches in the central nervous system for treatment of spinal cord injury. Curr Opin Neurol 2021; 34:804-811. [PMID: 34593718 PMCID: PMC8595808 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000000999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To report progress in neuromodulation following spinal cord injury (SCI) using combined brain and spinal neuromodulation.Neuromodulation refers to alterations in neuronal activity for therapeutic purposes. Beneficial effects are established in disease states such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), chronic pain, epilepsy, and SCI. The repertoire of neuromodulation and bioelectric medicine is rapidly expanding. After SCI, cohort studies have reported the benefits of epidural stimulation (ES) combined with training. Recently, we have explored combining ES with deep brain stimulation (DBS) to increase activation of descending motor systems to address limitations of ES in severe SCI. In this review, we describe the types of applied neuromodulation that could be combined in SCI to amplify efficacy to enable movement. These include ES, mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) - DBS, noninvasive transcutaneous stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, paired-pulse paradigms, and neuromodulatory drugs. We examine immediate and longer-term effects and what is known about: (1) induced neuroplastic changes, (2) potential safety concerns; (3) relevant outcome measures; (4) optimization of stimulation; (5) therapeutic limitations and prospects to overcome these. RECENT FINDINGS DBS of the mesencephalic locomotor region is emerging as a potential clinical target to amplify supraspinal command circuits for locomotion. SUMMARY Combinations of neuromodulatory methods may have additive value for restoration of function after spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Noga
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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Optogenetic stimulation of glutamatergic neurons in the cuneiform nucleus controls locomotion in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2110934118. [PMID: 34670837 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110934118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD), the loss of midbrain dopaminergic cells results in severe locomotor deficits, such as gait freezing and akinesia. Growing evidence indicates that these deficits can be attributed to the decreased activity in the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), a brainstem region controlling locomotion. Clinicians are exploring the deep brain stimulation of the MLR as a treatment option to improve locomotor function. The results are variable, from modest to promising. However, within the MLR, clinicians have targeted the pedunculopontine nucleus exclusively, while leaving the cuneiform nucleus unexplored. To our knowledge, the effects of cuneiform nucleus stimulation have never been determined in parkinsonian conditions in any animal model. Here, we addressed this issue in a mouse model of PD, based on the bilateral striatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine, which damaged the nigrostriatal pathway and decreased locomotor activity. We show that selective optogenetic stimulation of glutamatergic neurons in the cuneiform nucleus in mice expressing channelrhodopsin in a Cre-dependent manner in Vglut2-positive neurons (Vglut2-ChR2-EYFP mice) increased the number of locomotor initiations, increased the time spent in locomotion, and controlled locomotor speed. Using deep learning-based movement analysis, we found that the limb kinematics of optogenetic-evoked locomotion in pathological conditions were largely similar to those recorded in intact animals. Our work identifies the glutamatergic neurons of the cuneiform nucleus as a potentially clinically relevant target to improve locomotor activity in parkinsonian conditions. Our study should open avenues to develop the targeted stimulation of these neurons using deep brain stimulation, pharmacotherapy, or optogenetics.
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Chang SJ, Cajigas I, Guest JD, Noga BR, Widerström-Noga E, Haq I, Fisher L, Luca CC, Jagid JR. MR Tractography-Based Targeting and Physiological Identification of the Cuneiform Nucleus for Directional DBS in a Parkinson's Disease Patient With Levodopa-Resistant Freezing of Gait. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:676755. [PMID: 34168545 PMCID: PMC8217631 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.676755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Freezing of gait (FOG) is a debilitating motor deficit in a subset of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients that is poorly responsive to levodopa or deep brain stimulation (DBS) of established PD targets. The proposal of a DBS target in the midbrain, known as the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), to address FOG was based on its observed neuropathology in PD and its hypothesized involvement in locomotor control as a part of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR). Initial reports of PPN DBS were met with enthusiasm; however, subsequent studies reported mixed results. A closer review of the MLR basic science literature, suggests that the closely related cuneiform nucleus (CnF), dorsal to the PPN, may be a superior site to promote gait. Although suspected to have a conserved role in the control of gait in humans, deliberate stimulation of a homolog to the CnF in humans using directional DBS electrodes has not been attempted. METHODS As part of an open-label Phase 1 clinical study, one PD patient with predominantly axial symptoms and severe FOG refractory to levodopa therapy was implanted with directional DBS electrodes (Boston Science Vercise CartesiaTM) targeting the CnF bilaterally. Since the CnF is a poorly defined reticular nucleus, targeting was guided both by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography and anatomical landmarks. Intraoperative stimulation and microelectrode recordings were performed near the targets with leg EMG surface recordings in the subject. RESULTS Post-operative imaging revealed accurate targeting of both leads to the designated CnF. Intraoperative stimulation near the target at low thresholds in the awake patient evoked involuntary electromyography (EMG) oscillations in the legs with a peak power at the stimulation frequency, similar to observations with CnF DBS in animals. Oscillopsia was the primary side effect evoked at higher currents, especially when directed posterolaterally. Directional DBS could mitigate oscillopsia. CONCLUSION DTI-based targeting and intraoperative stimulation to evoke limb EMG activity may be useful methods to help target the CnF accurately and safely in patients. Long term follow-up and detailed gait testing of patients undergoing CnF stimulation will be necessary to confirm the effects on FOG. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04218526.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephano J. Chang
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Iahn Cajigas
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - James D. Guest
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Brian R. Noga
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Eva Widerström-Noga
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Ihtsham Haq
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Letitia Fisher
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Corneliu C. Luca
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Jonathan R. Jagid
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
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