title: Development of less invasive neuromuscular electrical stimulation model for motor therapy in rodents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Combination therapy is essential for functional repairs of the spinal cord. Rehabilitative therapy can be considered as the key for reorganizing the nervous system after spinal cord regeneration therapy. Functional electrical stimulation has been used as a neuroprosthesis  in quadriplegia and can be used for providing rehabilitative therapy to tap the capability for central nervous system reorganization after spinal cord regeneration therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a less invasive muscular electrical stimulation model capable of being combined  with spinal cord regeneration therapy especially for motor therapy in the acute stage after spinal cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  The tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius motor points were identified in intact anesthetized adult female Fischer rats, and stimulation needle electrodes  were percutaneously inserted into these points. Threshold currents for visual twitches were obtained upon stimulation using pulses of 75 or 8 kHz for 200 ms. Biphasic pulse widths of 20, 40, 80, 100, 300, and 500 µs per phase were used to determine strength-duration  curves. Using these parameters and previously obtained locomotor electromyogram data, stimulations were performed on bilateral joint muscle pairs to produce reciprocal flexion/extension movements of the ankle for 15 minutes while three-dimensional joint kinematics were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rhythmic muscular electrical stimulation with needle electrodes was successfully done, but decreased range of motion (ROM) over time. High-frequency and high-amplitude stimulation was also shown to be effective in alleviating decreases in ROM due to muscle fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model will be useful for investigating the ability of rhythmic muscular electrical stimulation therapy to promote motor recovery, in addition to the efficacy of combining treatments with spinal cord regeneration therapy after spinal cord injuries.
authors.affiliation: Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan. tkanchik@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanchiku
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imajo
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Ranu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*