The spinal cord is comprised of four types of neurons: motor neurons, pre-ganglionic neurons, ascending projection neurons, and spinal interneurons. Interneurons are neurons that process information within local circuits, and have an incredible ability for neuroplasticity, whether due to persistent activity, neural injury, or in response to disease. Although, by definition, their axons are restricted to the same structure as the soma (in this case the spinal cord), spinal interneurons are capable of sprouting and rewiring entire neural circuits, and contribute to some restoration of disrupted neural communication after injury to the spinal cord (i.e., “bypassing the lesion site).
Spinal Interneurons provides a focused overview of how scientists classify interneurons in general, the techniques used to identify subsets of interneurons, their roles in specific neural circuits, and the scientific evidence for their neuroplasticity. Understanding the capacity for neuroplasticity and identity of specific spinal interneurons that are optimal for recovery, may help determine cellular candidates for developing therapies.
Spinal Interneurons provides neuroscientists, clinicians, and trainees a reference book exclusively concentrating on spinal interneurons, the techniques and experiments employed to identify and study these cells as part of normal and compromised neural circuits, and highlights the therapeutic potential of these cells by presenting the relevant pre-clinical and clinical work to date. People in industry will also benefit from this book, which compiles the latest in therapeutic strategies for targeting spinal interneurons, what considerations there are for the development and use of treatments, and how such treatments can not only be translated to the clinic, but how existing treatments should be appropriately reverse-translated to the bench.
1. Title of Book - p. i 2. Cover image - p. i 3. Title page - p. ii 4. Table of Contents - p. iii 5. Copyright - p. iii 6. Dedication - p. v 7. List of contributors - p. xiii 8. Preface - p. xvii 9. Section I: Spinal interneurons — motor and sensory neuronal networks - p. xviii 10. Chapter 1. The neuronal cell types of the spinal cord - p. 3 11. Chapter 2. Identified interneurons contributing to locomotion in mammals - p. 35 12. Chapter 3. Decoding touch: peripheral and spinal processing - p. 69 13. Chapter 4. Spinal interneurons and pain: identity and functional organization of dorsal horn neurons in acute and persistent pain - p. 117 14. Chapter 5. Cholinergic spinal interneurons - p. 159 15. Chapter 6. Spinal interneurons, motor synergies, and modularity - p. 171 16. Section II: Spinal interneurons — a role in injury and disease - p. 203 17. Chapter 7. Propriospinal neurons as relay pathways from brain to spinal cord - p. 207 18. Chapter 8. Changes in motor outputs after spinal cord injury - p. 227 19. Chapter 9. Spinal interneurons and breathing - p. 251 20. Chapter 10. Spinal interneuronal control of the lower urinary tract - p. 277 21. Chapter 11. Spinal interneurons and autonomic dysreflexia after injury - p. 297 22. Chapter 12. Human spinal networks: motor control, autonomic regulation, and somatic-visceral neuromodulation - p. 311 23. Chapter 13. Spinal interneurons post-injury: emergence of a different perspective on spinal cord injury - p. 343 24. Chapter 14. A “Unified Theory” of spinal interneurons and activity-based rehabilitation after spinal cord injury - p. 367 25. Chapter 15. Spinal interneurons and cell transplantation - p. 381 26. Chapter 16. Spinal interneurons and cellular engineering - p. 423 27. Index - p. 445
The spinal cord is comprised of four types of neurons: motor neurons, pre-ganglionic neurons, ascending projection neurons, and spinal interneurons. Interneurons are neurons that process information within local circuits, and have an incredible ability for neuroplasticity, whether due to persistent activity, neural injury, or in response to disease. Although, by definition, their axons are restricted to the same structure as the soma (in this case the spinal cord), spinal interneurons are capable of sprouting and rewiring entire neural circuits, and contribute to some restoration of disrupted neural communication after injury to the spinal cord (i.e., “bypassing the lesion site).
Spinal Interneurons provides a focused overview of how scientists classify interneurons in general, the techniques used to identify subsets of interneurons, their roles in specific neural circuits, and the scientific evidence for their neuroplasticity. Understanding the capacity for neuroplasticity and identity of specific spinal interneurons that are optimal for recovery, may help determine cellular candidates for developing therapies.
Spinal Interneurons provides neuroscientists, clinicians, and trainees a reference book exclusively concentrating on spinal interneurons, the techniques and experiments employed to identify and study these cells as part of normal and compromised neural circuits, and highlights the therapeutic potential of these cells by presenting the relevant pre-clinical and clinical work to date. People in industry will also benefit from this book, which compiles the latest in therapeutic strategies for targeting spinal interneurons, what considerations there are for the development and use of treatments, and how such treatments can not only be translated to the clinic, but how existing treatments should be appropriately reverse-translated to the bench.
1. Title of Book - p. i 2. Cover image - p. i 3. Title page - p. ii 4. Table of Contents - p. iii 5. Copyright - p. iii 6. Dedication - p. v 7. List of contributors - p. xiii 8. Preface - p. xvii 9. Section I: Spinal interneurons — motor and sensory neuronal networks - p. xviii 10. Chapter 1. The neuronal cell types of the spinal cord - p. 3 11. Chapter 2. Identified interneurons contributing to locomotion in mammals - p. 35 12. Chapter 3. Decoding touch: peripheral and spinal processing - p. 69 13. Chapter 4. Spinal interneurons and pain: identity and functional organization of dorsal horn neurons in acute and persistent pain - p. 117 14. Chapter 5. Cholinergic spinal interneurons - p. 159 15. Chapter 6. Spinal interneurons, motor synergies, and modularity - p. 171 16. Section II: Spinal interneurons — a role in injury and disease - p. 203 17. Chapter 7. Propriospinal neurons as relay pathways from brain to spinal cord - p. 207 18. Chapter 8. Changes in motor outputs after spinal cord injury - p. 227 19. Chapter 9. Spinal interneurons and breathing - p. 251 20. Chapter 10. Spinal interneuronal control of the lower urinary tract - p. 277 21. Chapter 11. Spinal interneurons and autonomic dysreflexia after injury - p. 297 22. Chapter 12. Human spinal networks: motor control, autonomic regulation, and somatic-visceral neuromodulation - p. 311 23. Chapter 13. Spinal interneurons post-injury: emergence of a different perspective on spinal cord injury - p. 343 24. Chapter 14. A “Unified Theory” of spinal interneurons and activity-based rehabilitation after spinal cord injury - p. 367 25. Chapter 15. Spinal interneurons and cell transplantation - p. 381 26. Chapter 16. Spinal interneurons and cellular engineering - p. 423 27. Index - p. 445
