Motor cortex electrical stimulation promotes axon outgrowth to brain stem and spinal targets that control the forelimb impaired by unilateral corticospinal injury

This study investigates how electrical stimulation of the motor cortex affects nerve fiber growth after a spinal cord injury in rats. The goal was to see if stimulation encourages nerve fibers to connect not only to the spinal cord but also to brainstem areas that control arm and hand movement. Researchers stimulated the motor cortex of rats with a specific type of spinal cord injury and then measured the length of nerve fibers extending from the motor cortex to different areas of the brain and spinal cord. They wanted to understand if stimulating the motor cortex could help the brain and spinal cord reconnect and potentially improve movement. The results showed that electrical stimulation increased the length of nerve fibers in both the spinal cord and brainstem areas, suggesting that stimulation could promote the formation of new connections and potentially aid in motor recovery after spinal cord injury.

• 1
  Electrical stimulation of the motor cortex after spinal cord injury increases axon length in both the spinal cord and magnocellular red nucleus.
• 2
  Stimulation promotes outgrowth preferentially to the sparsely corticospinal-innervated and impaired side of the spinal cord.
• 3
  Increase in axon length in brain stem was preferentially directed towards areas less densely innervated by the stimulated system.