Inthehourstoweeksfollowingtraumaticspinalcordinjuries(SCI),biochemicalprocessesareinitiatedthatfurtherdamagethetissuewithinandsurroundingtheinitialinjurysite:aprocesstermedsecondaryinjury.Acrolein,ahighlyreactiveunsaturatedaldehyde,hasbeenshowntoplayamajorroleinthesecondaryinjurybycontributingsignificantlytobothmotorandsensorydeficits.Inparticular,effortshavebeenmadetoelucidatethemechanismsofacrolein-mediateddamageatthecellularlevelandtheresultingparalysisandneuropathicpain.Inthisreview,wewillhighlighttherecentdevelopmentsintheunderstandingofthemechanismsofacroleininmotorandsensorydysfunctioninanimalmodelsofSCI.Wewillalsodiscussthetherapeuticbenefitsofusingacroleinscavengerstoattenuateacrolein-mediatedneuronaldamagefollowingSCI.
