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Taccola G, Kissane R, Culaclii S, Apicella R, Liu W, Gad P, Ichiyama RM, Chakrabarty S, Edgerton VR. Dynamic electrical stimulation enhances the recruitment of spinal interneurons by corticospinal input. Exp Neurol 2024; 371:114589. [PMID: 37907125 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Highly varying patterns of electrostimulation (Dynamic Stimulation, DS) delivered to the dorsal cord through an epidural array with 18 independent electrodes transiently facilitate corticospinal motor responses, even after spinal injury. To partly unravel how corticospinal input are affected by DS, we introduced a corticospinal platform that allows selective cortical stimulation during the multisite acquisition of cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) and the simultaneous supply of DS. Firstly, the epidural interface was validated by the acquisition of the classical multisite distribution of CDPs and their input-output profile elicited by pulses delivered to peripheral nerves. Apart from increased EMGs, DS selectively increased excitability of the spinal interneurons that first process corticospinal input, without changing the magnitude of commands descending from the motor cortex, suggesting a novel correlation between muscle recruitment and components of cortically-evoked CDPs. Finally, DS increases excitability of post-synaptic spinal interneurons at the stimulation site and their responsiveness to any residual supraspinal control, thus supporting the use of electrical neuromodulation whenever the motor output is jeopardized by a weak volitional input, due to a partial disconnection from supraspinal structures and/or neuronal brain dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Taccola
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Roger Kissane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Department of Musculoskeletal & Ageing Science, University of Liverpool, The William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Stanislav Culaclii
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rosamaria Apicella
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy
| | - Wentai Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Parag Gad
- SpineX Inc, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USA
| | - Ronaldo M Ichiyama
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Samit Chakrabarty
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Research Institute, Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA 90242, USA; University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033; USA; Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Badalona 08916, Spain
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Taccola G, Kissane R, Culaclii S, Apicella R, Liu W, Gad P, Ichiyama RM, Chakrabarty S, Edgerton VR. Spinal facilitation of descending motor input. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.30.547229. [PMID: 37461548 PMCID: PMC10349979 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.30.547229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Highly varying patterns of electrostimulation (Dynamic Stimulation, DS) delivered to the dorsal cord through an epidural array with 18 independent electrodes transiently facilitate corticospinal motor responses, even after spinal injury. To partly unravel how corticospinal input are affected by DS, we introduced a corticospinal platform that allows selective cortical stimulation during the multisite acquisition of cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) and the simultaneous supply of DS. Firstly, the epidural interface was validated by the acquisition of the classical multisite distribution of CDPs on the dorsal cord and their input-output profile elicited by pulses delivered to peripheral nerves. Apart from increased EMGs, DS selectively increased excitability of the spinal interneurons that first process corticospinal input, without changing the magnitude of commands descending from the motor cortex, suggesting a novel correlation between muscle recruitment and components of cortically-evoked CDPs. Finally, DS increases excitability of post-synaptic spinal interneurons at the stimulation site and their responsiveness to any residual supraspinal control, thus supporting the use of electrical neuromodulation whenever the motor output is jeopardized by a weak volitional input, due to a partial disconnection from supraspinal structures and/or neuronal brain dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Taccola
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Roger Kissane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- Department of Musculoskeletal & Ageing Science, University of Liverpool, The William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Stanislav Culaclii
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rosamaria Apicella
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy
| | - Wentai Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- UCLA California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Parag Gad
- Rancho Research Institute, Downy, CA 90242, USA; Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
- University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033; USA
| | - Ronaldo M. Ichiyama
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Samit Chakrabarty
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - V. Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Research Institute, Downy, CA 90242, USA; Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
- University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033; USA
- Institut Guttmann. Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain
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All AH, Al-Nashash H. Comparative analysis of functional assessment for contusion and transection models of spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 2021; 59:1206-1209. [PMID: 34493803 DOI: 10.1038/s41393-021-00698-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Descriptive secondary analysis of two spinal cord injury (SCI) animal models. OBJECTIVES To compare the somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and motor behavioral (BBB) assessments of the two most used rodent SCI models (contusion and transection), to elucidate their functional similarity and differences over the acute phase of 3 weeks. SETTING Neuro-electrophysiology SSEP and motor behavioral BBB assessments are used to provide a comparative analysis of the functional changes among various severities of contusion and transection SCI. METHODS Adult male and female rats randomly grouped (n = 5) as following: mild (6.25 mm), moderate (12.5 mm), severe (25 mm), and very severe (50 mm) contusion as well as right T10 hemi-transection (RxI), left T8 and right T10 double hemi-transection (DxI), and T8 complete transection (CxI) injuries, plus the control group (laminectomy with no injury). Animal weight, body temperature, anesthesia, surgical procedures, electrophysiological SSEP monitoring, locomotion BBB scoring, and statistical analysis were identical among all animal groups. RESULTS Statistical analysis of the SSEP and BBB data from both contusion and transection injury models indicate significant differences (P < 0.05). The results also show remarkable similarity for the severe and very severe contusion injuries to the complete transection, the moderate contusion injury to the double hemi-transection, and the mild contusion injury to the T10 hemi-transection injury. CONCLUSION Although contusion and transection spinal cord injuries have two completely different pathophysiologies, their injury progress during acute phase follow a similar trend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo H All
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
| | - Hasan Al-Nashash
- Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, UAE.
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Marcantoni M, Fuchs A, Löw P, Bartsch D, Kiehn O, Bellardita C. Early delivery and prolonged treatment with nimodipine prevents the development of spasticity after spinal cord injury in mice. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/539/eaay0167. [PMID: 32295897 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aay0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Spasticity, one of the most frequent comorbidities of spinal cord injury (SCI), disrupts motor recovery and quality of life. Despite major progress in neurorehabilitative and pharmacological approaches, therapeutic strategies for treating spasticity are lacking. Here, we show in a mouse model of chronic SCI that treatment with nimodipine-an L-type calcium channel blocker already approved from the European Medicine Agency and from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-starting in the acute phase of SCI completely prevents the development of spasticity measured as increased muscle tone and spontaneous spasms. The aberrant muscle activities associated with spasticity remain inhibited even after termination of the treatment. Constitutive and conditional silencing of the L-type calcium channel CaV1.3 in neuronal subtypes demonstrated that this channel mediated the preventive effect of nimodipine on spasticity after SCI. This study identifies a treatment protocol and suggests that targeting CaV1.3 could prevent spasticity after SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Marcantoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Andrea Fuchs
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17162 Solna, Sweden
| | - Peter Löw
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17162 Solna, Sweden
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Transgenic Models, Central Institute of Mental Health, 28159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen Denmark. .,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17162 Solna, Sweden
| | - Carmelo Bellardita
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen Denmark
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GABAergic Mechanisms Can Redress the Tilted Balance between Excitation and Inhibition in Damaged Spinal Networks. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:3769-3786. [PMID: 33826070 PMCID: PMC8279998 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02370-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Correct operation of neuronal networks depends on the interplay between synaptic excitation and inhibition processes leading to a dynamic state termed balanced network. In the spinal cord, balanced network activity is fundamental for the expression of locomotor patterns necessary for rhythmic activation of limb extensor and flexor muscles. After spinal cord lesion, paralysis ensues often followed by spasticity. These conditions imply that, below the damaged site, the state of balanced networks has been disrupted and that restoration might be attempted by modulating the excitability of sublesional spinal neurons. Because of the widespread expression of inhibitory GABAergic neurons in the spinal cord, their role in the early and late phases of spinal cord injury deserves full attention. Thus, an early surge in extracellular GABA might be involved in the onset of spinal shock while a relative deficit of GABAergic mechanisms may be a contributor to spasticity. We discuss the role of GABA A receptors at synaptic and extrasynaptic level to modulate network excitability and to offer a pharmacological target for symptom control. In particular, it is proposed that activation of GABA A receptors with synthetic GABA agonists may downregulate motoneuron hyperexcitability (due to enhanced persistent ionic currents) and, therefore, diminish spasticity. This approach might constitute a complementary strategy to regulate network excitability after injury so that reconstruction of damaged spinal networks with new materials or cell transplants might proceed more successfully.
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All AH, Al Nashash H, Mir H, Luo S, Liu X. Characterization of transection spinal cord injuries by monitoring somatosensory evoked potentials and motor behavior. Brain Res Bull 2019; 156:150-163. [PMID: 31866455 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Standardization of spinal cord injury (SCI) models is crucial for reproducible injury in research settings and their objective assessments. Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring, the traditional behavioral evaluation method, is subjective and susceptible to human error. On the other hand, neuro-electrophysiological monitoring, such as somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP), is an objective assessment method that can be performed continuously for longitudinal studies. We implemented both SSEP and BBB assessments on transection SCI model. Five experimental groups are designed as follows: left hemi-transection at T8, right hemi-transection at T10, double hemi-transection at left T8 and right T10, complete transection at T8 and control group which receives only laminectomy with intact dura and no injury on spinal cord parenchyma. On days 4, 7, 14 and 21 post-injury, first BBB scores in awake and then SSEP signals in anesthetized rats were obtained. Our results show SSEP signals and BBB scores are both closely associated with transection model and injury progression. However, the two assessment modalities demonstrate different sensitivity in measuring injury progression when it comes to late-stage double hemi-transection, complete transection and hemi-transection injury. Furthermore, SSEP amplitudes are found to be distinct in different injury groups and the progress of their attenuation is increasingly rapid with more severe transection injuries. It is evident from our findings that SSEP and BBB methods provide distinctive and valuable information and could be complementary of each other. We propose incorporating both SSEP monitoring and conventional BBB scoring in SCI research to more effectively standardize injury progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo H All
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Traylor Building, 720 Rutland Ave., Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA; SINAPSE Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Hasan Al Nashash
- Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Engineering Building Left, Sharjah, 26666, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Hasan Mir
- Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Engineering Building Left, Sharjah, 26666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shiyu Luo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Traylor Building, 720 Rutland Ave., Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Xiaogang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, 117543, Singapore
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Bellardita C, Caggiano V, Leiras R, Caldeira V, Fuchs A, Bouvier J, Löw P, Kiehn O. Spatiotemporal correlation of spinal network dynamics underlying spasms in chronic spinalized mice. eLife 2017; 6:23011. [PMID: 28191872 PMCID: PMC5332159 DOI: 10.7554/elife.23011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Spasms after spinal cord injury (SCI) are debilitating involuntary muscle contractions that have been associated with increased motor neuron excitability and decreased inhibition. However, whether spasms involve activation of premotor spinal excitatory neuronal circuits is unknown. Here we use mouse genetics, electrophysiology, imaging and optogenetics to directly target major classes of spinal interneurons as well as motor neurons during spasms in a mouse model of chronic SCI. We find that assemblies of excitatory spinal interneurons are recruited by sensory input into functional circuits to generate persistent neural activity, which interacts with both the graded expression of plateau potentials in motor neurons to generate spasms, and inhibitory interneurons to curtail them. Our study reveals hitherto unrecognized neuronal mechanisms for the generation of persistent neural activity under pathophysiological conditions, opening up new targets for treatment of muscle spasms after SCI. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23011.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Bellardita
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vittorio Caggiano
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roberto Leiras
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vanessa Caldeira
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrea Fuchs
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julien Bouvier
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Löw
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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