E-Posters-10046

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Researchers at Duke University Medical Center recently conducted a study on rats with chronic suprasacral spinal cord injuries (SCI) to investigate the relationship between intravesical pressure (IVP) and hind limb locomotor activity (HLLA). They found that as IVP increased, locomotor events also increased, but this effect plateaued at around 50-60 cmH2O. The number of locomotor events decreased as the number of escalation trials increased. The study suggests that there is an aberrant bladder reflex pathway in rats with SCI that can drive HLLA, and this reflex is likely tied to contractile activity rather than baseline pressure. The researchers propose that this reflex pathway could be harnessed to facilitate walking in SCI patients.<br /><br />In the study, female rats with SCI were fitted with transvesical catheters and right quadriceps EMG electrodes to monitor bladder and hind limb locomotor activities, respectively. The rats were mounted in Ballman restraint cages and their bladders were filled with saline at different pressures while the number of HLLA events was recorded. The experiment was repeated for multiple trials to assess the durability of the reflex.<br /><br />The researchers concluded that the positive relationship between IVP and HLLA suggests the emergence of an aberrant bladder-to-hind limb locomotor reflex pathway after SCI. This reflex is likely driven by a system of afferents in series and parallel. The study suggests that it might be possible to harness this reflex pathway to facilitate walking in SCI patients, regardless of the state of their bladder.<br /><br />Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between bladder pressure and hind limb locomotor activity in rats with SCI. It opens up possibilities for future research and potential therapeutic interventions to facilitate walking in SCI patients. The work was supported by VA RRD SPiRE RX-001749-01.

Keywords

Duke University Medical Center

rats

chronic suprasacral spinal cord injuries

intravesical pressure

hind limb locomotor activity

aberrant bladder reflex pathway

contractile activity

transvesical catheters

quadriceps EMG electrodes

walking in SCI patients