Fig. 1

Chronic SCI alters the transcriptome in the cerebral cortex. Age-matched male and female C57BL/6 mice were subjected to moderate SCI at 10–12 weeks old. NanoString Neuropathology panel was used to assess transcriptional changes in the somatosensory cortex at 19 months (mon) post-injury. A Partial least square differentiation analysis (PLSDA) was performed with all normalized gene counts from the four sample groups and displayed clear clustering along the x- and y-axis which showed the degree of variation explained. B Pairwise comparison and number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs, unadjusted p < 0.05) in each comparison set. C Heatmap of pathway signature scores for DEGs showed gene groups that are either predominantly upregulated or downregulated by sex and SCI. D Bar graph of pathway signature scores for top 3 downregulated and upregulated pathways in SCI/M group compared to Sham/M. n = 5–6 mice/group