Restoration of Autonomic Cardiovascular Regulation in Spinal Cord Injury with Epidural Stimulation: A Case Series

Cervical spinal cord injury can severely disrupt the nervous system, impairing cardiovascular autonomic regulation, which negatively impacts cardiovascular function and increases the risk of illness and death. This dysfunction can delay treatments, limit improvements, and reduce independence and quality of life. The study investigates the mechanism of active CV-scES and the sustained adaption to CV-scES intervention in 4 individuals with chronic spinal cord injury. The improvements to heart rate variability and baroreflex activity that persist post-intervention, without active CV-scES, illustrate improvements to cardiovascular regulation during orthostatic stress and suggest the spinal cord retains the potential for adaptive plasticity in persons with long-standing spinal cord injury.

• 1
  Significant increases to heart rate variability and baroreceptor effectiveness were observed with immediate CV-scES.
• 2
  Sustained effects after the CV-scES intervention were observed in association with significantly increased blood pressure during orthostatic stress.
• 3
  The study demonstrates significant restoration of heart rate variability during orthostatic stress after CV-scES intervention.