UCLA

We previously demonstrated that epidural spinal stimulation (ES) and transcutaneous stimulation combined with step training can restore voluntary motor control in humans with chronic, motor-complete spinal cord injuries in at least 24 hours. The purpose of this study was to determine the underlying pathways involved. We hypothesized that chronic ES can provide motor improvements that persist in the absence of stimulation and that both surviving axons and their associated glial cells play important roles in ES-facilitated recovery. Our kinematic data suggested that chronic ES is associated with persistent motor recovery when ES is off. Our histological analysis demonstrated that the node of Ranvier, oligodendrocytes, astrocytic process extension, and apoptosis play important roles in mediating axonal integrity associated with functional motor improvement with ES in rats.