Rapid recovery and altered neurochemical dependence of locomotor central pattern generation following lumbar neonatal spinal cord injury

Abstract

Following incomplete compression injury in the thoracic spinal cord of neonatal mice one day after birth (P1), virtually normal hindlimb locomotor function is recovered within about 3 weeks despite substantial permanent thoracic tissue loss (Boulland et al. 2013; Chawla et al. 2016). Here, we asked whether similar recovery occurs following lumbar injury that impacts more directly on the locomotor central pattern generator (CPG). As in thoracic injuries, lumbar injuries caused about 90% neuronal loss at the injury site and increased serotonergic innervation below the injury. Motor recovery was slower after lumbar than thoracic injury, but virtually normal function was attained by P25 in both cases. Locomotor CPG status was tested by eliciting fictive locomotion in isolated spinal cords using a widely used neurochemical cocktail (NMDA, dopamine, serotonin). No fictive locomotion could be elicited 1 day post-injury, but could within 3 days post-injury as readily as in age-matched uninjured control spinal cords. Burst patterning and coordination were largely similar in injured and control spinal cords but there were differences. Notably, in both groups there were two main locomotor frequencies, but injured spinal cords exhibited a shift towards the higher frequency. Injury also altered the neurochemical dependence of locomotor CPG output, such that injured spinal cords, unlike control spinal cords, were incapable of generating low frequency rhythmic coordinated activity in the presence of NMDA and dopamine alone. Thus, the neonatal spinal cord exhibits remarkable functional recovery also after lumbar injuries, but the neurochemical sensitivity of locomotor circuitry is modified in the process.

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