The role of neuronal plasticity in cervical spondylotic myelopathy surgery: functional assessment and prognostic implication

Abstract

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a degenerative disease representing the most common spinal cord disorder in the adult population. It is characterized by chronic compression leading to neurological dysfunction due to static and dynamic injury of the spinal cord in cervical spine. These insidious damage mechanisms can result in the reorganization of cortical and subcortical areas. The cerebral cortex can reorganize due to spinal cord injury and may play a role in preserving neurological function. To date, the gold standard treatment of cervical myelopathy is surgery, comprising anterior, posterior, and combined approaches. However, the complex physiologic recovery processes involving cortical and subcortical neural reorganization following surgery are still inadequately understood. It has been demonstrated that diffusion MRI and functional imaging and techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), can provide new insights into the diagnosis and prognosis of CSM. This review aims to shed light on the state-of-the-art regarding the pattern of cortical and subcortical areas reorganization and recovery before and after surgery in CSM patients, underlighting the critical role of neuroplasticity.

Keywords: Cervical myelopathy; DTI; Functional reorganization; Surgery; White matter tracts; fMRI.

Fig. 1

A–B Illustrations of anterior and posterior surgical corridors for cervical myelopathy

Fig. 2

PRISMA flow chart of selection process

Fig. 3

Schematic representation of the neuronal plasticity and cellular processes involved. Schematic representation of the neuronal plasticity mechanisms: enhanced synaptic strength; increased dendritic excitability facilitates synaptic integration and neuronal firing; enhanced cellular excitability results in a lower threshold for potential action generation; altered connectivity pattern results in neuronal network modulation and increased neuronal activity