Effect of piracetam on motor activity of spinal cord injured rabbits.

Experimental, lumbal spinal cord compact injury provoked by a strike of 71 p.cm caused a spontaneously irreversible paraplegy in rabbits. Motor activity of injured rabbits was controlled during nine posttraumatic days. Piracetam significantly reduced motor dysfunction of the hind legs. Piracetam (2 g.kg-1) was given i.v., once per day during nine posttraumatic days. The beneficial effect of piracetam was more pronounced when the delay between trauma and the onset of drug administration was shorter. When this delay amounted to 360 minutes, piracetam did not influence significantly motor activity of contusioned animals. No side effects of piracetam were observed.