How early limb injury or not using a limb after spinal cord injury can cause harmful spinal changes
Maladaptive Plasticity in Spinal Cord Injury: Cellular Mechanisms
This project looks at whether early limb pain, injury, or disuse after a spinal cord injury pushes the spinal cord toward changes that cause spasticity, stronger reflexes, and chronic pain for people with SCI.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11140328 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use animal models of spinal cord injury to mimic the kinds of traumas people experience and then deliver pain signals, peripheral nerve injury, or forced limb disuse below the injury to see how the spinal cord changes. The team focuses on the acute period after injury to find which types of peripheral stimulation tip spinal plasticity toward harmful outcomes. They examine cells, receptors, and signaling pathways in the spinal cord to map the biological steps that lead to hyper-reflexia, spasticity, and pain. The goal is to find targets that could be blocked or modified to prevent maladaptive spinal changes after human SCI.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with recent spinal cord injury—especially those who also have early limb injuries, ongoing limb pain, or reduced limb use—would be the most relevant candidates for related clinical follow-up or trials.
Not a fit: People with long-standing chronic spinal cord injury where maladaptive spinal changes are already established may be less likely to benefit from interventions aimed at the acute phase.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to prevent or reduce spasticity, exaggerated reflexes, and chronic pain after spinal cord injury by stopping harmful spinal changes early.
How similar studies have performed: Preliminary animal studies, including the investigators' data, have shown similar maladaptive effects from peripheral injury and disuse, but translating prevention strategies to people remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ferguson, Adam R — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Ferguson, Adam R
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 below.