Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

Background/Objectives: Nerve transfer surgery is a state-of-the-art surgical approach to restore hand and arm function in individuals living with tetraplegia, significantly impacting daily life. While nearly a third of all individuals with chronic spinal cord injury may benefit from this interventio...

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Main Authors: Juan Sebastián Jara, Marwa A. Soliman, Amanda Bernstein, Paola di Grazia, Adam R. Ferguson, Justin M. Brown, Abel Torres-Espín, Edmund R. Hollis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Brain Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/3/251
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author Juan Sebastián Jara
Marwa A. Soliman
Amanda Bernstein
Paola di Grazia
Adam R. Ferguson
Justin M. Brown
Abel Torres-Espín
Edmund R. Hollis
author_facet Juan Sebastián Jara
Marwa A. Soliman
Amanda Bernstein
Paola di Grazia
Adam R. Ferguson
Justin M. Brown
Abel Torres-Espín
Edmund R. Hollis
author_sort Juan Sebastián Jara
collection DOAJ
description Background/Objectives: Nerve transfer surgery is a state-of-the-art surgical approach to restore hand and arm function in individuals living with tetraplegia, significantly impacting daily life. While nearly a third of all individuals with chronic spinal cord injury may benefit from this intervention, variability in outcomes can limit the functional impact. A bedside to bench approach was taken to address the variable response of tetraplegic individuals to nerve transfer surgery. Methods: We used a hierarchical multiple factor analysis to evaluate the effects of conditioning electrical stimulation (CES) on outcomes in a mouse model of nerve transfer to treat chronic cervical spinal cord injury. Results: We found that CES of donor nerves one week prior to nerve transfer surgery enhanced anatomical and functional measures of innervation of targeted muscles. Furthermore, CES increased the rate of recovery of naturalistic behavior. Conclusions: While the model has some limitations due to the small size of the rodent, our results support the use of CES as an effective approach to improve outcomes in clinical nerve repair settings.
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spelling doaj-art-81c583a887bf44fcbe57f34e2af2ae272025-08-20T02:42:42ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-02-0115325110.3390/brainsci15030251Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord InjuryJuan Sebastián Jara0Marwa A. Soliman1Amanda Bernstein2Paola di Grazia3Adam R. Ferguson4Justin M. Brown5Abel Torres-Espín6Edmund R. Hollis7Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY 10605, USABurke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY 10605, USABurke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY 10605, USABurke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY 10605, USABrain and Spinal Injury Center (BASIC), Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USAMassachusetts General Paralysis Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USABrain and Spinal Injury Center (BASIC), Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USABurke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY 10605, USABackground/Objectives: Nerve transfer surgery is a state-of-the-art surgical approach to restore hand and arm function in individuals living with tetraplegia, significantly impacting daily life. While nearly a third of all individuals with chronic spinal cord injury may benefit from this intervention, variability in outcomes can limit the functional impact. A bedside to bench approach was taken to address the variable response of tetraplegic individuals to nerve transfer surgery. Methods: We used a hierarchical multiple factor analysis to evaluate the effects of conditioning electrical stimulation (CES) on outcomes in a mouse model of nerve transfer to treat chronic cervical spinal cord injury. Results: We found that CES of donor nerves one week prior to nerve transfer surgery enhanced anatomical and functional measures of innervation of targeted muscles. Furthermore, CES increased the rate of recovery of naturalistic behavior. Conclusions: While the model has some limitations due to the small size of the rodent, our results support the use of CES as an effective approach to improve outcomes in clinical nerve repair settings.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/3/251chronic spinal cord injurytetraplegianerve transfer surgerymouse modelrecoveryregeneration
spellingShingle Juan Sebastián Jara
Marwa A. Soliman
Amanda Bernstein
Paola di Grazia
Adam R. Ferguson
Justin M. Brown
Abel Torres-Espín
Edmund R. Hollis
Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Brain Sciences
chronic spinal cord injury
tetraplegia
nerve transfer surgery
mouse model
recovery
regeneration
title Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
title_full Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
title_fullStr Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
title_full_unstemmed Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
title_short Conditioning Electrical Nerve Stimulation Enhances Functional Rewiring in a Mouse Model of Nerve Transfer to Treat Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
title_sort conditioning electrical nerve stimulation enhances functional rewiring in a mouse model of nerve transfer to treat chronic spinal cord injury
topic chronic spinal cord injury
tetraplegia
nerve transfer surgery
mouse model
recovery
regeneration
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/3/251
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