Abstract
We compared the effect of electric subcutaneous stimulation and epidural spinal cord stimulation to reactivate locomotor abilities of chronic spinal rats. We trained spinalized rats to walk bipedally on a treadmill with support of body weight for 5 days a week for 20-30 minutes while stimulating subcutaneously or epidurally at 40Hz. The dynamical changes of locomotor abilities induced by subcutaneous and epidural electrical stimulation and their effect on the neuronal spinal structures were similar. After 3 weeks, single (L2 or S1) stimulation at 1 Hz induced motor evoked responses in m.tibialis ant. and m.gastrocnemius med., while simultaneous rhythmic stimulation (L2 and S1) at 40 Hz initiated in a few steps on the moving treadmill belt. After 9 weeks of training more pronounced rhythmic pattern of muscle activity was observed, and this coincided with appearаnce of the polysynapticspinal cord reflexes. Administration of non-selective serotonin receptors agonist- quipazine facilitated the polysynaptic activity and support the view that the spinal circuitry can be modulated by serotonergic agonists.
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