Abstract WMP47: Robot-assisted Mechanical Therapy Protects Against Stroke-induced Skeletal Muscle Injury

• DOI: 10.1161/str.48.suppl_1.wmp47
• Publication Date: 2021-06-21T16:59:15Z
• Authors: Maria H Balch; Chandan K Sen; Savita Khanna; Hallie Harris; Surya Gnyawali; Cameron L Rink
• Keywords: Stroke; Gastrocnemius muscle; Stroke Recovery; Myostatin

Introduction: A growing body of literature supports acute changes to skeletal muscle physiology in response stroke-induced central nervous system injury. While stroke survivors depend on rehabilitation facilitate functional recovery, study post-stroke and mechanisms recovery remains limited. The current work addresses development a Robot-Assisted Mechanical Therapy (RAMT) device facilitation reproducible, objective analysis rehabilitation. We hypothesize that RAMT permits systematic mechano-physiotherapy restores hindlimb function after by protecting against Methods: Wistar rats (male, N=26) were subjected middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), which they received daily (RAMT+; 0.5N force, 1Hz frequency, 10mm linear motion over medial stroke-affected gastrocnemius) or none (RAMT-; anesthesia only) for 14 days. Assessment gait, sensorimotor behavior, perfusion quantified effects function, while (RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry) evaluated expression myostatin, molecular target stroke. Results: Compared RAMT- controls, RAMT+ benefited from higher gastrocnemius (47.7%, p<0.05). improved gait evidenced better track width (11.9%, p<0.05), less time quad support (54.4%, greater travel distance (60.5%, more mobile (41.7%, Additionally, protected induction decreasing mRNA protein (39.1% 88.6% respectively, Conclusion: facilitates objective, pre-clinical mechano-physiotherapy. successfully improves perfusion, rescues deficits, preserves attenuates the rise myostatin. Ongoing efforts focus characterize mechano-sensitive miRNA transcriptome employ electrophysiology quantitatively map neuroplasticity RAMT.