This article investigates the possible effects of transplantation of mononuclear bone marrow cells (mBMCs) to ameliorate or prevent the behavioral impairments and the cellular damage observed in a quinolinic acid (QA) model of Huntington’s disease. mBMCs were isolated using a standard procedure and implanted within the QA-lesioned striatum. Behavior was explored using motor (beam test) and memory (object recognition and Morris water maze) tests. Morphology was evaluated using conventional histology (cresyl violet), bisbenzimide (to evaluate cell vitality), and immunohystochemistry to identify neurons or glia. mBMC-transplanted animals showed improvements in motor coordination (beam test). Regarding memory, object recognition was significantly improved in transplanted animals, while spatial memory (Morris water maze test) was not severely affected by QA and, therefore, the results after transplantation were significant only in the probe-trial retention test. In samples taken from the animals that participated in the behavioral tests, a preserved morphology of striatal neurons and a reduced glial reaction indicated a possible neuroprotective effect of the transplanted mBMCs. A parallel study confirmed that the transplanted mBMCs have a long survival period (1 year follow-up). The results presented confirm the possibility that mBMC transplantation may be a viable therapeutic option for Huntington’s disease.

Cerebellar ataxia is a complex motor impairment arising from neurologic disease. The dysfunction significantly impairs quality of movement, equilibrium, and gait. In this study, we evaluated motor function in 20 patients with acquired or degenerative ataxia undergoing rehabilitation using a program developed at the International Center for Restorative Neurology in Havana. All patients were evaluated before and 28 and 42 days after treatment using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) and measurement of maximal strength. Analysis of variance demonstrated a significant reduction in ICARS score, indicating reduction in the severity of ataxia. A highly significant correlation was found between change in ICARS score and increase in lower limb strength. The program developed at the International Center for Restorative Neurology in Havana for rehabilitation of ataxia was shown to be effective for ameliorating motor impairment in patients with ataxia, independent of its etiology.