Abstract
The spinal cord plays a key role in pain processing, but it remains unexplored in large animal models. We have developed a methodology to record from spinal neurons using three pigs. Here we aim to determine (1) at which rostro-caudal level ulnar nerve evoked responses can be recorded and (2) at which depth distinctly different responses can be recorded after noxious and non-noxious stimulation. Neural signals were evoked by ulnar nerve stimulation and recorded at different levels of the spinal cord in anesthetized pigs. Event-related potentials and peri-stimulus histograms showed that most activity was recorded at the C7 level, which diminished when the electrodes were moved towards C6 or C8. At 1 mm depth, spinal neurons responded primarily to noxious stimulation, which is typical for nociceptive specific neurons. While at 2 mm depth, neurons showed responses typical for wide dynamic range neurons by responding differently to noxious and non-noxious stimulation. Histological analysis showed that these signals may indeed have been recorded from lamina I/II and IV/V, respectively. This method opens new possibilities for studying pain and other spinal mechanisms in large animals and can be combined with peripheral and brain recordings to provide a more integrated picture of (chronic) pain mechanisms.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | 11th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, NER 2023 - Proceedings |
Publisher | IEEE |
Publication date | 24 Apr 2023 |
Article number | 10123833 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-1-6654-6293-8 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-6654-6292-1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 24 Apr 2023 |
Event | 11th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (2023 NER) - Baltimore, United States Duration: 24 Apr 2023 → 27 Apr 2023 https://cid.wse.jhu.edu/blog/ieee-embs-2023/ |
Conference
Conference | 11th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (2023 NER) |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | Baltimore |
Period | 24/04/2023 → 27/04/2023 |
Internet address |
Series | International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, NER |
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ISSN | 1948-3546 |
Keywords
- ERP
- PSTH
- Spinal cord
- neural interfaces
- pain