MicroRNA and Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Neuropathic Pain Severity After Spinal Cord Injury: Results from a Robotic-Assisted Gait Training Study

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in chronic neuroinflammation which contributes to altered neural function and the development of neuropathic pain. Differential expression of microRNA regulators of neuroinflammatory pathways and alterations in brain structure and functional connectivity may contribute to the development or severity of neuropathic pain. Exercise has been shown to reduce neuroinflammation and chronic pain and alter brain structure in human and animal models, yet little is known about how exercise interventions influence pain processing in human populations with SCI. This doctoral dissertation aimed to identify 1) novel microRNA biomarkers of neuropathic pain, 2) neuropathic pain-related alterations in brain functional connectivity, and 3) the efficacy of an exercise intervention of robotic-assisted gait training to reduce neuropathic pain and alter brain volume in individuals with SCI. Successful identification of underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain and potential exercise induced mitigation of these factors will guide the development of targeted interventions and provide useful biomarkers to predict and optimize prognosis, and subsequent care management for individuals with SCI.