The candidate for this NINDS K25 Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award was trained as a biomedical engineer and has performed experimental and modeling research on clinical neuroprostheses and on applications of spinal neurophysiology discoveries to neuroprosthetic problems. The mentor is a leader in the field of neural plasticity and regeneration. The candidate's long term objective is to further the understanding of the motor program coded at the spinal level, and its functional application. Short term career goals are to develop an understanding of the effects of neural plasticity on spinal circuits that produce organized force patterns at the limb's effector when electrically/pharmacologically activated. Such an understanding would contribute to the development of devices combining neuroprostheses enhanced by sensorimotor training and regenerated spinal pathways. The proposed career development plan includes specific training in neural plasticity, histological and electrophysiological methods.
The specific aims of the research plan are to examine how spinal cord injuries, sensorimotor rehabilitation, and neural transplants affect the operation of the spinal circuits. The plan is an innovative integration of the candidate's engineering-based neuroprosthetics research interests with the mentor's long term interests in spinal repair. Three projects are proposed. The first looks at the effects of chronic spinalization on the force pattern structure produced by electrical activation of dorsal/medial regions of the cat's spinal lumbar enlargement. The second project examines the effects of locomotor training on the spinal animal's walking abilities and spinal circuitry organization. The third project proposes to extend transplantation protocols developed in the rat to the cat model, and to identify the functional benefits provided by these spinal grafts when combined with locomotor training. Upon completion of the locomotor training, the force patterns coded into the neuronal circuit of the spinal cord are investigated via intraspinal microstimulation. The results will extend our knowledge of the effects of neural plasticity on portions of the spinal circuitry with potential for neuroprosthetic applications. Furthermore, the results will demonstrate the cross-species application of a neural graft, as well as the effect of sensorimotor training on the regenerated pathways.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award (K25)
Project #
5K25NS041975-02
Application #
6540503
Study Section
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Initial Review Group (NSD)
Program Officer
Kleitman, Naomi
Project Start
2001-09-15
Project End
2006-06-30
Budget Start
2002-07-01
Budget End
2003-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$112,685
Indirect Cost
Name
Drexel University
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
061197161
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Boyce, Vanessa S; Lemay, Michel A (2009) Modularity of endpoint force patterns evoked using intraspinal microstimulation in treadmill trained and/or neurotrophin-treated chronic spinal cats. J Neurophysiol 101:1309-20
Ollivier-Lanvin, Karen; Lemay, Michel A; Tessler, Alan et al. (2009) Neuromuscular transmission failure and muscle fatigue in ankle muscles of the adult rat after spinal cord injury. J Appl Physiol 107:1190-4
Lemay, Michel A; Grasse, Dane; Grill, Warren M (2009) Hindlimb endpoint forces predict movement direction evoked by intraspinal microstimulation in cats. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 17:379-89
Lemay, Michel A; Bhowmik-Stoker, Manoshi; McConnell, George C et al. (2007) Role of biomechanics and muscle activation strategy in the production of endpoint force patterns in the cat hindlimb. J Biomech 40:3679-87
Boyce, Vanessa S; Tumolo, Maureen; Fischer, Itzhak et al. (2007) Neurotrophic factors promote and enhance locomotor recovery in untrained spinalized cats. J Neurophysiol 98:1988-96
Burns, Anthony S; Boyce, Vanessa S; Tessler, Alan et al. (2007) Fibrillation potentials following spinal cord injury: improvement with neurotrophins and exercise. Muscle Nerve 35:607-13
Burns, Anthony S; Lemay, Michel A; Tessler, Alan (2005) Abnormal spontaneous potentials in distal muscles in animal models of spinal cord injury. Muscle Nerve 31:46-51