NMPT Translational Research
Programs
Motor Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI):
A well-integrated group of prominent investigators with expertise in both
animal models and clinical practice investigates the potential of complementary
therapeutic strategies to promote motor recovery following SCI. In specific,
scientists investigate the potential of locomotor training and activity-dependent
plasticity to restore walking after SCI and the neural substrates associated
with recovery. Parallel studies are being pursued in clinically-relevant
spinal contused rats, thoracic spinal-injured cats, and persons with incomplete
SCI.
Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury and Brain Cortical Plasticity:
A large group of NMPT faculty central to the research efforts of the MBI
and VA BRRC study the pathophysiology and rehabilitation of traumatic brain
injury and stroke. NMPT faculty are particularly interested in the study
of cortical and spinal plasticity in the mature central nervous system following
stroke. Two rehabilitation interventions central to these efforts are constraint-induced
therapy and locomotor training. There also is a strong emphasis on the use
of adjunctive drugs and stem cell replacement therapies in human neurological
disease.
Respiratory Rehabilitation:
A superb group of neuroscientists and respiratory physiologists, along with
physical therapists and muscle physiologists work together to enhance respiratory
function after cervical SCI or in other clinical conditions requiring ventilator-assisted
breathing. This group investigates the role of the cerebral cortex and central
reflex pathways in the behavioral control of breathing, mechanisms underlying
spontaneous, partial respiratory motor recovery following cervical SCI,
spinal plasticity induced by rehabilitative training, the cellular mechanism
responsible for muscular atrophy in respiratory muscles, and muscle and
neural adaptations during mechanical ventilation.
Inactivity, aging and muscle dysfunction:
A group of nationally recognized muscle physiologists, biomechanist, physical
therapists and molecular biologists work together to examine the pathophysiology
of muscle dysfunction in a variety of conditions including disuse, aging,
mechanical ventilation, central nervous system injuries, and neuromuscular
diseases. Therapeutic strategies to ameliorate loss of muscle function or
to enhance recovery in these conditions include pharmaceutical targets (protease
inhibitors and antioxidants), progressive resistance training, locomotor
training, gene transfer (IGF-I, SDF) and stem cell therapies. A number of
investigators also examine the phenomenon of muscle damage in healthy, unloaded,
senescent and dystrophic muscles.
There is considerable cross-fertilization between the different translational
research groups with both faculty and trainees participating in multiple
research partnerships. View a description of the research activities of
each of the Faculty Mentors here.
