Dipolar cortico-muscular electrical stimulation: a novel method that enhances motor function in both - normal and spinal cord injured mice

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2010 · DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-7-46 · Published: September 17, 2010

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Biomedical

Simple Explanation

This study introduces a novel electrical stimulation method called dipolar cortico-muscular stimulation (dCMS). This involves delivering a negative voltage to the muscle and a positive voltage to the motor cortex. The dCMS method was tested on both normal and spinal cord injured (SCI) mice. The results showed improvements in muscle contraction and spinal cord responses in both groups, with more pronounced effects in SCI mice. These findings suggest that dCMS has the potential to improve the functionality of the corticomotoneuronal pathway. This could be a promising therapeutic approach for individuals with spinal cord injuries and other motor impairments.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Control and spinal cord injury (SCI) mice

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
In SCI animals, dCMS significantly improved cortically-elicited muscle contraction at both the contralateral (456%) and ipsilateral (457%) gastrocnemius muscles, with the improvement lasting for at least 60 minutes.
2
The enhancement of muscle contraction was accompanied by a reduction in the motor cortex (M1) maximal threshold and potentiation of spinal motoneuronal evoked responses on both sides of the spinal cord.
3
dCMS also increased spontaneous activity recorded from single spinal motoneurons contralaterally (121%) and ipsilaterally (54%).

Research Summary

The study introduces dipolar cortico-muscular stimulation (dCMS), a novel electrical stimulation technique involving the application of negative voltage to the muscle and positive voltage to the motor cortex. Experiments on SCI mice showed that dCMS significantly enhanced cortically-elicited muscle contractions, reduced the motor cortex threshold, and potentiated spinal motoneuronal responses. The results suggest that dCMS can improve the functionality of the corticomotoneuronal pathway, making it a potential therapeutic intervention for spinal cord injuries and other conditions.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

dCMS could be a potential therapeutic intervention for spinal cord injuries, stroke, and multiple sclerosis by strengthening or awakening weak or dormant pathways in the nervous system.

Rehabilitation Strategies

The findings can inform the development of new rehabilitation strategies that incorporate dCMS to improve motor function and recovery in patients with neurological disorders.

Understanding Neural Plasticity

The study contributes to the understanding of neural plasticity and how electrical stimulation can be used to modulate and enhance the excitability of the corticomotoneuronal pathway.

Study Limitations

1
The study was conducted on mice, and further research is needed to determine the efficacy and safety of dCMS in humans.
2
The exact mechanisms underlying the dCMS-induced enhancement of corticomotoneuronal excitability are not fully understood.
3
The long-term effects of dCMS on motor function and neural plasticity were not investigated.

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