How blood flow affects gray matter loss after neck spinal cord injury
Official title: Hemodynamic basis for secondary cervical grey matter tissue loss after spinal cord injury
Funded at University of Louisville · NIH-11446855 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether changing blood flow after a cervical (neck) spinal cord injury might protect gray matter and help recovery for people with these injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Louisville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Louisville, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $203,130 |
| NIH project number | 7R01NS121191-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11446855 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work is most relevant to people who have experienced a recent cervical (neck) spinal cord injury, especially those at risk for respiratory problems or paralysis of the limbs.
✕Less likely to help
People with long-standing, chronic spinal cord injuries where gray matter has already been lost, or those with injuries far from the neck, are less likely to benefit directly from this project in the near term.
What this research studies
If you have a neck spinal cord injury, researchers are using a new, very fast ultrasound method to watch blood flow in the spinal cord in real time. They are testing in a rodent model how different local blood flow patterns relate to loss of gray matter near the injury. By linking specific blood flow changes to tissue loss, they aim to identify targets that could be changed to spare nerve tissue. The findings could guide future treatments to improve breathing and limb function after cervical injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to ways to preserve spinal cord gray matter after neck injuries and improve breathing and arm/leg function.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest improving blood flow can limit secondary damage, but using ultrafast intravital ultrasound to guide interventions in the spinal cord is a new and largely unproven approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Louisville
Louisville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Khaing, Zin Z — University of Louisville
- Study coordinator: Khaing, Zin Z
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Corticospinal neurons and recovery of precise forelimb movement after spinal cord injury
This project studies how spine injuries change brain circuits and whether targeted rehabilitation helps restore precise forelimb movement.
-
How baclofen and spinal cord stimulation interact in people with spinal cord injury
This study looks at how a common antispasmodic medicine (baclofen) works together with spinal cord stimulation in people who have spinal cord injuries and live with spasticity.
-
Targeting spinal cord inflammation with a new HuR inhibitor to help SCI patients
A new treatment approach uses a small molecule to block a brain-spinal inflammation regulator (HuR) that drives harmful inflammation after spinal cord injury, aiming to lessen damage and pain for people with SCI.
-
From Neural Control of Movement to Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
A patient-focused project aims to translate how brain signals control movement after spinal cord injury into new treatments that improve muscle function and reduce spasticity.
-
Polaris: a compact system to help motor recovery after spinal cord injury and stroke
A new, easy-to-use device called Polaris may help people with spinal cord injury, stroke, or other chronic conditions regain movement by guiding a specialized reflex-based therapy.
-
Predicting and Preventing Chronic Aspiration After Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
This project looks at swallowing problems and chronic aspiration in adults with traumatic neck spine injuries to find patterns that could prevent serious lung complications.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.