scholarly journals Mechanisms of spinal cord stimulation in ischemia

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oren Sagher ◽  
Dah-Luen Huang

Object The goal of this study was to assess the duration of neuroprotection after SCS. Nearly 40 years after the first description of spinal cord stimulation (SCS), the mechanisms underlying its physiological effects remain unclear. It is known that SCS affects activity in the nervous system on a broad scale. Local neurohumoral changes within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord have been described, as have changes in cortical activation in a number of brain regions. Spinal cord stimulation has even been found to have profound effects on sympathetic vascular tone, a discovery that has led to its use in ameliorating blood flow in the limbs, heart, and brain. Methods In an effort to delineate the limits of neuroprotection offered by SCS, the authors have studied its use in an experimental model of permanent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats. The investigators applied SCS in a delayed fashion 3, 6, or 9 hours after MCA occlusion. The results are reported and mechanisms underlying the physiological effects of SCS are reviewed, with particular attention being paid to the effect of SCS on cerebral blood flow in the setting of cerebral ischemia. Conclusions The authors found that SCS applied as late as 6 hours postischemia significantly reduces stroke volumes, whereas SCS applied 9 hours after ischemia fails to reduce stroke injury.

Neurocirugía ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Clavo ◽  
F. Robaina ◽  
L. Catalá ◽  
M. Lloret ◽  
B. Pinar ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
J. Eric Ahlskog

As a prelude to the treatment chapters that follow, we need to define and describe the types of problems and symptoms encountered in DLB and PDD. The clinical picture can be quite varied: problems encountered by one person may be quite different from those encountered by another person, and symptoms that are problematic in one individual may be minimal in another. In these disorders, the Lewy neurodegenerative process potentially affects certain nervous system regions but spares others. Affected areas include thinking and memory circuits, as well as movement (motor) function and the autonomic nervous system, which regulates primary functions such as bladder, bowel, and blood pressure control. Many other brain regions, by contrast, are spared or minimally involved, such as vision and sensation. The brain and spinal cord constitute the central nervous system. The interface between the brain and spinal cord is by way of the brain stem, as shown in Figure 4.1. Thought, memory, and reasoning are primarily organized in the thick layers of cortex overlying lower brain levels. Volitional movements, such as writing, throwing, or kicking, also emanate from the cortex and integrate with circuits just below, including those in the basal ganglia, shown in Figure 4.2. The basal ganglia includes the striatum, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, and substantia nigra, as illustrated in Figure 4.2. Movement information is integrated and modulated in these basal ganglia nuclei and then transmitted down the brain stem to the spinal cord. At spinal cord levels the correct sequence of muscle activation that has been programmed is accomplished. Activated nerves from appropriate regions of the spinal cord relay the signals to the proper muscles. Sensory information from the periphery (limbs) travels in the opposite direction. How are these signals transmitted? Brain cells called neurons have long, wire-like extensions that interface with other neurons, effectively making up circuits that are slightly similar to computer circuits; this is illustrated in Figure 4.3. At the end of these wire-like extensions are tiny enlargements (terminals) that contain specific biological chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are released when the electrical signal travels down that neuron to the end of that wire-like process.


F1000Research ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Voet ◽  
Bernard le Polain de Waroux ◽  
Patrice Forget ◽  
Ronald Deumens ◽  
Etienne Masquelier

Background: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 (CRPS-1) is a debilitating chronic pain disorder, the physiopathology of which can lead to dystonia associated with changes in the autonomic, central and peripheral nervous system. An interdisciplinary approach (pharmacological, interventional and psychological therapies in conjunction with a rehabilitation pathway) is central to progress towards pain reduction and restoration of function.Aim: This case report aims to stimulate reflection and development of mechanism-based therapeutic strategies concerning CRPS associated with dystonia.Case description: A 31 year old female CRPS-1 patient presented with dystonia of the right foot following ligamentoplasty for chronic ankle instability. She did not have a satisfactory response to the usual therapies. Multiple anesthetic blocks (popliteal, epidural and intrathecal) were not associated with significant anesthesia and analgesia. Mobilization of the foot by a physiotherapist was not possible. A multidisciplinary approach with psychological support, physiotherapy and spinal cord stimulation (SCS) brought pain relief, rehabilitation and improvement in the quality of life.Conclusion: The present case report demonstrates the occurrence of multilevel (peripheral and central) pathological modifications in the nervous system of a CRPS-1 patient with dystonia. This conclusion is based on the patient’s pain being resistant to anesthetic blocks at different levels and the favourable, at least initially, response to SCS. The importance of the bio-psycho-social model is also suggested, permitting behavioural change.


1963 ◽  
Vol 204 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morris J. Mandel ◽  
Francesco Arcidiacono ◽  
Leo A. Sapirstein

Rb86 and Iodo131 antipyrine were injected together by vein in rats. The brain, spinal cord, and nerve contents of each label were measured 30 or 60 sec later. Iodoantipyrine values were used to calculate blood flow to these portions of the nervous system. The ratio of Rb86 to iodoantipyrine uptake was used as an index of the efficacy of the hematoneural barrier. The barrier is most complete in the brain, less complete in the spinal cord, and absent in peripheral nerve. Blood flow values per gram are: brain .41 ml/g min; cord .28 ml/g min, and nerve .11 ml/g min. It is suggested that the blood-brain barrier is an anatomical entity rather than a functional one.


2010 ◽  
Vol 1313 ◽  
pp. 53-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Gao ◽  
Mingyuan Wu ◽  
Linggen Li ◽  
Chao Qin ◽  
Jay P. Farber ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document