Acute Cardiovascular Responses to Vagus Nerve Stimulation after Experimental Spinal Cord Injury

JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA, 2020 · DOI: 10.1089/neu.2019.6828 · Published: May 1, 2020

Spinal Cord Injury Cardiovascular Science Neurology

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the cardiovascular safety of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). VNS is being explored as a way to improve recovery after neurological disorders. The researchers measured heart rate and blood pressure responses to different VNS methods after SCI. They compared these responses to those of rats without SCI. The results showed that intermittent VNS, at levels used for therapy, appears safe in rats with SCI. VNS did not cause lasting drops in blood pressure or trigger autonomic dysreflexia.

Study Duration

1 month post-injury

Participants

11 adult male Wistar rats, 6 with SCI, 5 controls

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Continuous VNS resulted in significant reductions in heart rate in both SCI and uninjured control groups, but significant reduction in blood pressure was seen only in rats with SCI.
2
Intermittent VNS led to a transient reduction in heart rate in the SCI group, but not in uninjured controls. No significant effects of VNS were seen in blood pressure for either group.
3
VNS did not exacerbate or improve experimentally induced episodes of autonomic dysreflexia.

Research Summary

This study evaluated the cardiovascular effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in rats with chronic high-thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI). The research focused on assessing the safety of VNS, given the cardiovascular complications associated with SCI. The researchers tested heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) responses to continuous and intermittent VNS, and also examined whether VNS affected experimentally induced autonomic dysreflexia. The study found that intermittent VNS at parameters used for targeted plasticity therapy appears safe and does not cause lasting perturbations in cardiovascular function or affect autonomic dysreﬂexia after SCI. However, future work will be aimed at evaluating the consequences of long-term VNS in acute and chronic SCI.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

VNS may be a viable therapeutic strategy in the context of SCI.

Safety Profile

VNS appears safe as a post-SCI intervention.

Further Research

Long-term effects of VNS in acute and chronic SCI need further evaluation.

Study Limitations

1
The present study is a cross-sectional investigation.
2
Consequences of long-term VNS in acute and chronic SCI needs to be evaluated.
3
The study was conducted on rats, and results may not directly translate to humans.

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