title: Balance and coordination training after sciatic nerve injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous therapeutic interventions have been tested to enhance functional recovery after peripheral nerve injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  After sciatic nerve crush in rats we tested balance and coordination and motor control training in sensorimotor tests and analyzed nerve and muscle histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The balance and coordination training group and the sham group had better results than the sedentary and motor control groups in sensorimotor tests. The sham and balance and coordination groups had a significantly larger muscle area than the other groups, and the balance and coordination group showed significantly better values than the sedentary and motor control groups for average myelin sheath thickness and g-ratio of the distal portion of the nerve.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate that balance and coordination training improves sciatic nerve regeneration, suggesting that it is possible to revert and/or prevent soleus muscle atrophy and improve performance on sensorimotor tests.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leandro Viçosa
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: Arthiese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korb
authors.forename: Sandro Antunes
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Jocemar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ilha
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marcuzzo
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Achaval
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Faccioni-Heuser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*