The Role of Early Rehabilitation and Functional Electrical Stimulation in Rehabilitation for Cats with Partial Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury: A Pilot Study on Domestic Cats in Portugal.

This prospective observational cohort pilot study included 22 cats diagnosed with partial traumatic brachial plexus injury (PTBPI), aiming to explore responses to an early intensive neurorehabilitation protocol in a clinical setting. This protocol included functional electrical stimulation (FES), locomotor treadmill training and kinesiotherapy exercises, starting at the time with highest probability of nerve repair. The synergetic benefits of this multimodal approach were based on the potential structural and protective role of proteins and the release of neurotrophic factors. Furthermore, FES was parametrized according to the presence or absence of deep pain. Following treatment, 72.6% of the cats achieved ambulation: 9 cats within 15 days, 2 cats within 30 days and 5 cats within 60 days. During the four-year follow-up, there was evidence of improvement in both muscle mass and muscle weakness, in addition to the disappearance of neuropathic pain. Notably, after the 60 days of neurorehabilitation, 3 cats showed improved ambulation after arthrodesis of the carpus. Thus, early rehabilitation, with FES applied in the first weeks after injury and accurate parametrization according to the presence or absence of deep pain, may help in functional recovery and ambulation, reducing the probability of amputation.

Spinal shock in severe SCI dogs and early implementation of intensive neurorehabilitation programs.

Spinal shock is complex, paradoxical with sudden presentation, possibly leading to a guarded prognosis. Thus, it is suggested the need for early implementation of intensive neurorehabilitation. This prospective controlled blinded cohort study aims to understand the implication of spinal shock in neurorehabilitation of severe SCI dogs and the importance of its evaluation thought a spinal shock scale (SSS). 371 dogs were randomized by stratification according the presence of spinal shock in the SG (n = 245) or CG (n = 126). The SSS, a punctuation scale (0-7), was evaluated at admission and each 6 h for 3 days, each day for 15 days, each week for 6 weeks, each month until 3 months, followed by 3 monthly follow-ups. All dogs had similar land and underwater treadmill training with functional electrical stimulation. Observational dataset allowed an approximate level of power (1-ß) of 0.90 and an α (Type I error) of 0.01, with a total of 11,088 SSS observations between two blinded observers and 18% of disagreement. 75% of the dogs were admitted in 24-48 h after injury, allowing early detection of spinal shock, and dogs admitted at 72 h with SSS ≥ 4 were not able to achieve ambulation. Regarding ambulation rate, there was a significant difference between groups, with 66.9% of ambulation in the SG and 97.6% in the CG. Also, there was a difference in regard to time until ambulation, with a mean of 31.57 days for the SG and 23.02 for the CG. The SSS estimated marginal means had an exponential decrease within the first 6 h, followed by a slower decrease, but always faster in spinal shock dogs diagnosed with non-compressive myelopathies. Thus, early intensive neurorehabilitation in dogs after severe SCI may benefit from SSS classifications at admission and during treatment to establish different therapeutic protocols according to each patient's needs, especially in deep pain negative dogs.