The role of exercise on peripheral nerve regeneration: from animal model to clinical application
Grazia Maugeri,
Velia D'Agata,
Bruno Trovato,
Federico Roggio,
Alessandro Castorina,
Michele Vecchio,
Michelino Di Rosa,
Giuseppe Musumeci
Affiliations
Grazia Maugeri
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human, Histology and Movement Science Section, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°87, 95123, Catania, Italy
Velia D'Agata
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human, Histology and Movement Science Section, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°87, 95123, Catania, Italy
Bruno Trovato
Research Center on Motor Activities (CRAM), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°97, 95123, Catania, Italy
Federico Roggio
Research Center on Motor Activities (CRAM), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°97, 95123, Catania, Italy
Alessandro Castorina
Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia; Laboratory of Neural Structure and Function (LNSF), School of Medical Sciences, (Anatomy & Histology), Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
Michele Vecchio
Unit of Rehabilitation, Vittorio Emanuele University Hospital, Catania, Italy
Michelino Di Rosa
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human, Histology and Movement Science Section, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°87, 95123, Catania, Italy
Giuseppe Musumeci
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human, Histology and Movement Science Section, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°87, 95123, Catania, Italy; Research Center on Motor Activities (CRAM), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°97, 95123, Catania, Italy; Department of Biology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA; Corresponding author.
Peripheral nerve injury is a complex condition with a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the severity and nerves involved. Peripheral nerve damage may lead to sensory and motor functions deficits and even lifelong disability, causing important socioeconomic costs worldwide. Despite the increase in knowledge of the mechanisms of injury and regeneration, a full functional recovery is still unsatisfying in the majority of patients. It is well known that exercise promotes physical and psychological well-being, by ameliorating general health. In the last years, there has been a growing interest in evaluating the effects of exercise on the peripheral nervous system. Experimental works with rodent models showed the potential utility of exercise following peripheral nerve injuries, as evinced by increasing axon regeneration, muscle reinnervation, better recovery of strength, muscle mass and higher expression of neurotrophic factors. Moreover, clinical evidence showed positive trends in favour of physical therapy following peripheral nerve damage based on the improvement of range of motion (ROM), muscle power grade and pain. After a brief overview of peripheral nerve anatomy and the different types of nerve injury, the present review aims to summarize the impact of exercise on peripheral nerve regeneration. Some clinical evidence regarding the effect of exercise after peripheral nerve injury will also be discussed.
