Pulsed electrical stimulation protects neurons in the dorsal root and anterior horn of the spinal cord after peripheral nerve injury

Abstract

Most studies on peripheral nerve injury have focused on repair at the site of injury, but very few have examined the effects of repair strategies on the more proximal neuronal cell bodies. In this study, an approximately 10-mm-long nerve segment from the ischial tuberosity in the rat was transected and its proximal and distal ends were inverted and sutured. The spinal cord was subjected to pulsed electrical stimulation at T10 and L3, at a current of 6.5 mA and a stimulation frequency of 15 Hz, 15 minutes per session, twice a day for 56 days. After pulsed electrical stimulation, the number of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion and anterior horn was increased in rats with sciatic nerve injury. The number of myelinated nerve fibers was increased in the sciatic nerve. The ultrastructure of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord was noticeably improved. Conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve was also increased. These results show that pulsed electrical stimulation protects sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia as well as motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord after peripheral nerve injury, and that it promotes the regeneration of peripheral nerve fibers.

The relationship between nerve conduction studies and neuropathic pain in sciatic nerve injury due to intramuscular injection

“…Our results may also be due to changes in the dorsal horn neurons or more proximal structures. It has been reported in animal studies that after SN injury, there are changes in the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord, or the neurons in the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord are protected by electrical stimulation [ 29 - 31 ]. Moreover, changes in the dorsal horn neurons were reported as a result of tibial nerve section in rats [ 29 ].…”