Respiratory motor failure is the leading cause of death in spinal cord injury (SCI). Cervical injuries disrupt connections between brainstem neurons that are the primary source of excitatory drive to respiratory motor neurons in the spinal cord and their targets. In addition to direct connections from bulbospinal neurons, respiratory motor neurons also receive excitatory and inhibitory inputs from propriospinal neurons, yet their role in the control of breathing is often overlooked. In this review, we will present evidence that propriospinal neurons play important roles in patterning muscle activity for breathing. These roles likely include shaping the pattern of respiratory motor output, processing and transmitting sensory afferent information, coordinating ventilation with motor activity, and regulating accessory and respiratory muscle activity. In addition, we discuss recent studies that have highlighted the importance of propriospinal neurons for recovery of respiratory muscle function following SCI. We propose that molecular genetic approaches to target specific developmental neuron classes in the spinal cord would help investigators resolve the many roles of propriospinal neurons in the control of breathing. A better understanding of how spinal circuits pattern breathing could lead to new treatments to improve breathing following injury or disease.

中文翻译：

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本体脊髓神经元在呼吸肌控制和损伤后呼吸恢复中的作用

呼吸运动衰竭是脊髓损伤（SCI）死亡的主要原因。颈椎损伤会破坏脑干神经元之间的连接，而脑干神经元是脊髓中呼吸运动神经元兴奋性驱动的主要来源及其目标。除了球脊髓神经元的直接连接之外，呼吸运动神经元还接收来自本体脊髓神经元的兴奋性和抑制性输入，但它们在呼吸控制中的作用经常被忽视。在这篇综述中，我们将提出证据表明本体脊髓神经元在呼吸肌肉活动模式中发挥重要作用。这些作用可能包括塑造呼吸运动输出模式、处理和传输感觉传入信息、协调通气与运动活动以及调节辅助肌和呼吸肌活动。此外，我们还讨论了最近的研究，这些研究强调了本体脊髓神经元对于 SCI 后呼吸肌功能恢复的重要性。我们提出，针对脊髓中特定发育神经元类别的分子遗传学方法将有助于研究人员解决本体脊髓神经元在控制呼吸中的许多作用。更好地了解脊髓回路如何模式呼吸可能会带来新的治疗方法，以改善受伤或疾病后的呼吸。我们提出，针对脊髓中特定发育神经元类别的分子遗传学方法将有助于研究人员解决本体脊髓神经元在控制呼吸中的许多作用。更好地了解脊髓回路如何模式呼吸可能会带来新的治疗方法，以改善受伤或疾病后的呼吸。我们提出，针对脊髓中特定发育神经元类别的分子遗传学方法将有助于研究人员解决本体脊髓神经元在控制呼吸中的许多作用。更好地了解脊髓回路如何模式呼吸可能会带来新的治疗方法，以改善受伤或疾病后的呼吸。