Spinal Cord Injury: Impact on Sensory, Motor, Behavioral and Cognitive Functions

Details

Lesions of the spinal cord induce sensory-motor deficits and have various neuropsychological effects. MRI shows a reduction in the volume of the somatosensory and motor cortices, as well as atrophy of the white matter bundles. Disturbances in brain activity are observed in several critical areas. Patients may experience cognitive impairment and an increased risk of depression and anxiety. Although deep brain stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation have shown positive effects, the efficacy of these treatments remains limited, partly due to insufficient understanding of post-SCI brain changes. The cognitive and behavioral consequences of spinal cord injury are poorly understood and mainly treated by symptomatic therapies, which are often ineffective and may have side effects. A better understanding of brain networks and their plasticity after spinal cord injury could facilitate the development of targeted therapies, such as cortical or deep basal ganglia stimulation.