title: Vagus Nerve Stimulation Delivered with Motor Training Enhances Recovery of Function after Traumatic Brain Injury.
abstract: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the largest health problems in the United States, and affects nearly 2 million people every year. The effects of TBI, including weakness and loss of coordination, can be debilitating and last years after the initial injury. Recovery of motor function is often incomplete. We have developed a method using electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve paired with forelimb use by which we have demonstrated enhanced recovery from ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Here we have tested the hypothesis that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with physical rehabilitation could enhance functional recovery after TBI. We trained rats to pull on a handle to receive a food reward. Following training, they received a controlled-cortical impact (CCI) in the forelimb area of motor cortex opposite the trained forelimb, and were then randomized into two treatment groups. One group of animals received VNS paired with rehabilitative therapy, whereas another group received rehabilitative therapy without VNS. Following CCI, volitional forelimb strength and task success rate in all animals were significantly reduced. VNS paired with rehabilitative therapy over a period of 5 weeks significantly increased recovery of both forelimb strength and success rate on the isometric pull task compared with rehabilitative training without VNS. No significant improvement was observed in the Rehab group. Our findings indicate that VNS paired with rehabilitative therapy enhances functional motor recovery after TBI.
authors.affiliation: 1 The, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Pruitt
authors.affiliation: 1 The, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Ariel N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: 1 The, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Lily J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 1 The, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: 2 Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Jenny L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Trieu
authors.affiliation: 1 The, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Choua
authors.affiliation: 2 Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Seth A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hays
authors.affiliation: 1 The, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kilgard
authors.affiliation: 1 The, School of Behavioral Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|2 Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.|3 Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson, Texas.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Rennaker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D055536:Vagus Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: motor recovery; neuromodulation; traumatic brain injury; vagal nerve stimulation; vagus nerve stimulation