title: Models of spinal cord injury: Part 2. A mathematical model.
abstract: A mathematical model was constructed to predict motor performance in rats for 8 weeks after spinal cord injury. The model is based on experimental data generated from an investigation of the static-load technique of inducing cord injury and was derived using multiple linear regression. The regression coefficients for weight of the injury-producing load were statistically significant (P less than 0.001), and it was found that the weight of the load contributes over 95% of the posttrauma motor deficit, whereas the time duration of the load resting on the cord contributes less than 5% to the deficit. Sex, pretrauma motor performance, and pretrauma body weight are insignificant covariates. The model may be used to establish expected motor deficits and to derive dose-response curves.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic