J Neural Eng, 2022 · DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac9a00 · Published: January 1, 2022
Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is being explored to improve motor function after spinal cord injury (SCI) and to manage chronic pain. This study investigates whether stimulation intended for motor rehabilitation can also affect pain pathways. The researchers used intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) in rats to stimulate motor areas of the spinal cord. They then measured the activity of nerve cells that transmit pain signals (nociceptive transmission) in response to touch. The study found that motor-targeted ISMS can immediately reduce the transmission of pain signals in the spinal cord, without increasing sensitivity to non-painful touch. This suggests that ISMS could offer combined benefits for both motor and pain issues in SCI patients.
ISMS may offer a new approach for managing the sensorimotor consequences of SCI, providing both motor rehabilitation and pain relief.
Depression of NS and WDR neurons would be predicted to reduce hyperalgesia and allodynia, two common manifestations of below-level SCI-NP.
By not enhancing WDR responses to non-nociceptive cutaneous transmission, ISMS-based therapies may avoid exacerbating the debilitating spasms and spasticity experienced by many individuals living with SCI.