Intraspinal microstimulation A novel technique for the functional recovery of spinal cord injury  

作　　者：Hua Zhang Liqun Feng Yuping Wang 

机构地区：[1]Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China [2]Department of Neurology, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China

出　　处：《Neural Regeneration Research》2010年第16期1249-1255,共7页中国神经再生研究（英文版）

基　　金：the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30770744

摘　　要：Nonspecific neuronal activity elicited by intraspinal microstimulation in the intermediate and ventral gray matter of thoracic spinal segments caudal to a complete spinal cord transection significantly increased the rat hindlimb Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan locomotor score by activating the central pattem generator located in the lumbar spinal cord. However, the best region for intraspinal microstimulation is unclear. Using an incomplete spinal cord injury model at T8, we compared the use of intraspinal microstimulation to activate the spinal cord in rats with a spontaneous recovery group. The intraspinal microstimulation group recovered sooner and showed three kinds of movement： the left hindlimb, the left hindlimb toes, and the paraspinal muscles and tails. These had different microstimulation thresholds. There was mild hyperplasia of the astrocytes surrounding the tips of the microelectrodes and slight inflammatory reactions nearby. These results indicate that implantation of microelectrodes was relatively safe and induced minimal damage to the lumbar-sacral spinal cord. Intraspinal microstimulation in the lumbar sacral spinal cord may improve leg movements after spinal cord injury. Non-specific intraspinal microstimulation may be a novel technique for the recovery of spinal cord injuries.Nonspecific neuronal activity elicited by intraspinal microstimulation in the intermediate and ventral gray matter of thoracic spinal segments caudal to a complete spinal cord transection significantly increased the rat hindlimb Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan locomotor score by activating the central pattem generator located in the lumbar spinal cord. However, the best region for intraspinal microstimulation is unclear. Using an incomplete spinal cord injury model at T8, we compared the use of intraspinal microstimulation to activate the spinal cord in rats with a spontaneous recovery group. The intraspinal microstimulation group recovered sooner and showed three kinds of movement： the left hindlimb, the left hindlimb toes, and the paraspinal muscles and tails. These had different microstimulation thresholds. There was mild hyperplasia of the astrocytes surrounding the tips of the microelectrodes and slight inflammatory reactions nearby. These results indicate that implantation of microelectrodes was relatively safe and induced minimal damage to the lumbar-sacral spinal cord. Intraspinal microstimulation in the lumbar sacral spinal cord may improve leg movements after spinal cord injury. Non-specific intraspinal microstimulation may be a novel technique for the recovery of spinal cord injuries.

关 键 词：intraspinal microstimulation spinal cord injury central pattern generator propriospinal neurons neural regeneration 

分 类 号：Q426[生物学—神经生物学] TQ051.5[生物学—生理学]