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J Neurophysiol (January 21, 2009). doi:10.1152/jn.00009.2008
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Submitted on June 27, 2008
Revised on January 12, 2009
Accepted on January 15, 2009

Impairment of postural control in rabbits with extensive spinal lesions

Vladimir F. Lyalka1, Grigori N Orlovsky1, and Tatiana G. Deliagina1*

1 Karolinska Institute

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tatiana.deliagina{at}ki.se.

Our previous studies on rabbits demonstrated that the ventral spinal pathways are of primary importance for postural control in the hindquarters. After ventral hemisection, postural control did not recover, whereas after dorsal or lateral hemisection it did. The aim of this study was to examine postural capacity of rabbits after more extensive lesion (3/4-section of the spinal cord at T12 level), that is, with only one ventral quadrant spared (VQ-animals). They were tested before (control) and after lesion, on the platform periodically tilted in the frontal plane. In control animals, tilts of the platform regularly elicited coordinated EMG responses in the hindlimbs, which resulted in generation of postural corrections and in maintenance of balance. In VQ-rabbits, the EMG responses appeared only in a part of tilt cycles, and they could be either correctly or incorrectly phased in relation to tilts. Because of a reduced value and incorrect phasing of EMG responses on both sides, this muscle activity did not cause postural corrective movements in the majority of rabbits, and the body swayed together with the platform. In these rabbits, the ability to perform postural corrections did not recover during the whole period of observation (up to 30 days). Low probability of correct EMG responses to tilts in most rabbits, as well as an appearance of incorrect responses to tilts suggest that the spinal reflex chains, necessary for postural control, have not been specifically selected by a reduced supraspinal drive transmitted via a single ventral quadrant.







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