Spinal Cord Stimulation Attenuates Below-Level Mechanical Hypersensitivity in Rats After Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The burden of pain after spinal cord injury (SCI), which may occur above, at, or below injury level, is high worldwide. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an important neuromodulation pain therapy, but its efficacy in SCI pain remains unclear. In SCI rats, we tested whether conventional SCS (50 Hz, 80% motor threshold [MoT]) and 1200 Hz, low-intensity SCS (40% MoT) inhibit hind paw mechanical hypersensitivity, and whether conventional SCS attenuates evoked responses of wide-dynamic range (WDR) neurons in lumbar spinal cord.

Materials and methods

Male rats underwent a moderate contusive injury at the T9 vertebral level. Six to eight weeks later, SCS or sham stimulation (120 min, n = 10) was delivered through epidural miniature electrodes placed at upper-lumbar spinal

SUBMITTER: Duan W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7855640 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature