To evaluate the effect of aging on locomotor recovery in animal models of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), emphasizing the importance of understanding age-related differences for targeted rehabilitation strategies.
Key Findings:
Nine studies met inclusion criteria, involving over 340 animals, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
Older animals showed significantly lower BBB scores post-injury compared to younger animals in all studies using this outcome, indicating a clear age-related decline in recovery.
Different locomotor outcome measures were utilized, including the Basso Mouse Scale and CatWalk, which may affect comparability.
One study indicated that pre-injury and post-injury exercise improved locomotor recovery in aged rats, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues.
Interpretation:
Aging is associated with poorer locomotor recovery following traumatic SCI in preclinical models, highlighting the need for age consideration in SCI research and the potential for targeted interventions.
Limitations:
The review included a limited number of studies (nine), which may affect the generalizability of findings and the robustness of conclusions drawn.
Variability in age categorization and locomotor outcome measures across studies may introduce inconsistencies in the results.
Conclusion:
Aging negatively impacts locomotor recovery after traumatic SCI, suggesting that rehabilitative interventions, such as exercise, may help mitigate age-related deficits and warrant further investigation.
by Aniqah I. Bhatti, Zhikai Li, Natalia Jagodzinska, Yuhan Guo, Faheem I. Bhatti, Zainab I. Bhatti, Jamie F. M. Brannigan, Benjamin M. Davies, Mark R. Kotter, Oliver D. Mowforth
