Increased functional vulnerability to acute compression injury of a spinal cord segment under barbiturate anesthesia.
Posttraumatic changes in polysynaptic reflex activity and axonal long-tract conduction were measured after transient compression of the L-7 spinal cord segment of cats, either made high spinal and unanesthetized or left intact under pentobarbital anesthesia. The severity of acute post-injury changes increased significantly in the anesthetized animals. Partial recovery and stabilization of functional deficits were observed in the spinal cat, but not in the anesthetized one. These findings suggest that, at least in the acute postinjury stage, pentobarbital anesthesia may enhance functional damages after experimental spinal cord compression.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects
D010424:Pentobarbital