http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19660677
Abstract
Recovery
of function after damage to the CNS is limited due to the absence of
axon regeneration and relatively low levels of plasticity. Plasticity in
the CNS can be reactivated in the adult CNS by treatment with
chondroitinase ABC, which removes glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains from
chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). Plasticity in the adult CNS
is restricted by perineuronal nets (PNNs) around many neuronal cell
bodies and dendrites, which appear at the closure of critical periods
and contain several inhibitory CSPGs. Formation of these structures and
the turning off of plasticity is triggered by impulse activity in
neurons. Expression of a link protein by neurons is the event that
triggers the formation of PNNs. Treatment with chondroitinase removes
PNNs and other inhibitory influences in the damaged spinal cord and
promotes sprouting of new connections. However, promoting plasticity by
itself does not necessarily bring back useful behavior; this only
happens when useful connections are stabilized and inappropriate
connections removed, driven by behavior. Thus after rodent spinal cord
injury, combining a daily rehabilitation treatment for skilled paw
function with chondroitinase produces much greater recovery than either
treatment alone. The rehabilitation must be specific for the behavior
that is to be enhanced because non-specific rehabilitation improves
locomotor behavior but not skilled paw function. Plasticity-enhancing
treatments may therefore open up a window of opportunity for successful
rehabilitation.
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