Nervous system modulation through electrical stimulation in companion animals

Abstract

Domestic animals with severe spontaneous spinal cord injury (SCI), including dogs and cats that are deep pain perception negative (DPP−), can benefit from specific evaluations involving neurorehabilitation integrative protocols. In human medicine, patients without deep pain sensation, classified as grade A on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale, can recover after multidisciplinary approaches that include rehabilitation modalities, such as functional electrical stimulation (FES), transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (TESCS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS). This review intends to explore the history, biophysics, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy and the parameters of FES, TESCS, and TDCS, as safe and noninvasive rehabilitation modalities applied in the veterinary field. Additional studies need to be conducted in clinical settings to successfully implement these guidelines in dogs and cats.

Early Locomotor Training in Tetraplegic Post-Surgical Dogs with Cervical Intervertebral Disc Disease

“…As mentioned above, spinal hyperesthesia revealed 100% of resolution until the end of this study, without resorting to the usual rehabilitation modalities for neuropathic and nociceptive pain treatment (e.g., transcutaneous electrical stimulation, interferential electrical stimulation, laser therapy, and electroacupuncture) [ 50 ]. The introduction of these modalities would result in a potential bias for the study design, although they could be useful for reorganization of the descending tracts, neurogenesis and strengthening the pre-existing neural tracts both cranially and caudally to the injury, and possibly through it, promoting the anatomic and synaptic plasticity [ 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. Multidisciplinary protocols are based in functional electrical stimulation and transpinal stimulation [ 53 , 55 ], which could also be implemented in tetraplegic patients who suffered injury in the phrenic motoneuron pools and/or phrenic nerves to improve ventilatory status [ 56 , 57 ].…”

A Controlled Clinical Study of Intensive Neurorehabilitation in Post-Surgical Dogs with Severe Acute Intervertebral Disc Extrusion

“…Furthermore, electrical stimulation by FES may potentiate large-diameter motor neurons recruitment capable of fast conduction velocity fibers instead of recruiting small diameter motor neurons, which are slower and more susceptible to fatigue [ 101 , 102 ]. FES may also increase the muscle tonus in the hindlimbs and enhance the polysynaptic reflex, essential in this population of dogs that showed an absent or decreased withdrawal reflex [ 66 , 67 , 103 , 104 ].…”

“…This multidisciplinary treatment also included TESCS, which is considered a noninvasive and nonpainful neuro-modulation modality. TESCS has been proposed to induce stimulation through multi-segmental interactive and synergistic pathways, which combine the central components of motor descending paths and ascending sensorial paths [ 102 ], recruiting a diverse population of motor neurons by projecting sensory and intraspinal connections [ 75 ].…”

Correction to: Nervous system modulation through electrical stimulation in companion animals

“…Following the publication of the original article [ 1 ], we were notified that on page 6 the authors attribute to Dr. Ammendolia et al the demonstration of “an increase in blood flow to the spinal cord and cauda equina with TESCS, and the magnitude of effect was dependent on the intensity of the electrical stimulus.” In fact, Dr. Ammendolia and colleagues were citing the original research reported in Budgell BS, Sovak G, Soave D. TENS augments blood flow in somatotopically linked spinal cord segments and mitigates compressive ischemia. Spinal Cord.…”