Safety assessment of epidural wire electrodes for cough production in a chronic pig model of spinal cord injury

• Published in: Journal of neuroscience methods 2016-08, Vol.268, p.98-105
• Main Authors: Kowalski, Krzysztof E., Kowalski, Tomasz, DiMarco, Anthony F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pressure; Animals; Cisplatin; Cough - pathology; Cough - physiopathology; Disease Models, Animal; Electric Stimulation - instrumentation; Electric Stimulation - methods; Electrical stimulation; Electrodes, Implanted; Epidural Space; Equipment Safety; Expiratory muscles; Iridium; Lung Volume Measurements; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Rehabilitation; Respiratory Muscles - physiopathology; Safety; Spinal Cord - pathology; Spinal Cord - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Injuries - pathology; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Swine; Swine, Miniature - physiology; Thoracic Vertebrae
• ISSN: 0165-0270; 1872-678X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2016.05.002

•An experimental model of chronic paraplegia was induced in mini-pigs by spinal cord compression.•The effects of high intensity spinal cord stimulation via wire electrodes on potential tissue injury and electrode corrosion were examined.•The application of electrical stimulation to activate the expiratory muscles results in large airway pressures characteristic of a normal cough.•Importantly, electrical stimulation does not result in any evidence of tissue injury or electrode damage. It is our hypothesis that high intensity spinal cord stimulation (SCS) to restore an effective cough mechanism using wire leads, will result in significant activation of target neurons without tissue injury or electrode corrosion. Adult mini-pigs underwent chronic spinal cord compression, followed by implantation of parallel wire leads on the dorsal epidural surface of the spinal cord, with stimulation contacts at the T9 and T12, and control electrode contacts at the T2 and T5 levels. After 3 months of daily SCS, airway pressure generation (P), tissue in the area of the stimulating and control electrodes and electrode leads were examined. P was also assessed in acute animals, which served as controls. Mean P at FRC was 54±5cmH2O and 109±11cmH2O in the control and chronically stimulated animals, respectively (p