Collection-image

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Methods in Spinal Cord Injury Research: From Animal Models to Clinical Rehabilitation

Submit Abstract

Guest Editor

Gustavo Balbinot

Gustavo Balbinot

KITE – Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network

Dr. Gustavo Balbinot obtained his MSc and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Rio Grande - Brazil in 2013 and 2019 (in collaboration with the University of Ottawa – Canada), where he made one of the first quantitative descriptions of classic post-stroke flexion synergy in rodents. His main research focus has been on therapies to optimize rehabilitation in stroke, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson’s disease as well as in the aging population. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at KITE – Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network. His research focuses on neurophysiological profiles of individuals with spinal cord injury using machine learning techniques (Biomedical Engineering). Dr. Balbinot thinks that exploring complex datasets employing machine learning techniques is the key to the next generation of scientific discoveries.

Collection Overview

Spinal cord injury is a devastating condition that changes the spinal cord function and may have important physical consequences for individuals. To find a cure for paralysis, research is being conducted both in experimental models and clinical studies. This effort demands the use of a plethora of techniques at the cellular, tissue, and individual level. Studies on neurorehabilitation following spinal cord injury may involve novel pharmacological treatments, technologies, or surgical procedures. Methods to conduct research in spinal cord injury are complex because of the spinal cord structure, the characteristics of the lesion, and the route of administration of novel treatments or technologies. The goal of this Methods Collection is to demonstrate [(i) – animal models] protocols for inducing the spinal cord lesion, measuring impairment, restitution, and neurochemical/physiological changes following the lesion, and administering novel drugs, therapies, or implementing novel technologies; and [(ii) – clinical] standardized protocols to measure sensorimotor impairment and the effects of therapy, and to provide novel treatments (e.g., spinal cord stimulation or neuroprosthetic devices). With this Methods Collection, we aim to provide broader access to existing methods and ultimately increase the successful translation of novel treatments, therapies, and technology to the end-user.

Articles

Photothrombosis-induced Focal Ischemia as a Model of Spinal Cord Injury in Mice
8:27

Photothrombosis-induced Focal Ischemia as a Model of Spinal Cord Injury in Mice

0 Views

•

Cited by 3

•

2015

•