ABSTRACT
Therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation after spinal cord injury (SCI) are currently confronted with tremendous challenges in basic and clinical medicine.The pathological process of SCI starts with the primary injury process directly caused by a mechanical force and follows the secondary injury process caused by microcirculation disorders and inflammatory responses.In this review,we interpret the neurobiological mechanisms underlying SCI.Damage to descending motor pathways and ascending sensory pathways interrupt their feedback and/or feedforward control of movement planning and modulation.To some extent,it also affetcs the normal function of local neural circuits with partial plasticity and independence.The animal models for SCI include transection models,contusion and compression models,ischemia-reperfusion injury and chemical injury models.Basic and translational studies in SCI have achieved remarkable progress in various aspects,including the gene network regulation of axonal regeneration,cell implantation,biomaterials applications,neuronal protection,neurostimulation and functional rehabilitation training,applications of artificial intelligence and brain computer interface.Obviously,future trends in basic and translational studies in SCI research will be enhancement of interdisciplinary research,cutting-edge technology application for clinical rehabilitation,database sharing and data standardization.