Effects of Phase Polarity and Charge Balance of Spinal Cord Stimulation on Behavior and Gene Expression in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain

Presenter and Advisor Information

Jonathan Rink, Illinois Wesleyan University

Submission Type

Poster

Area of Study or Work

Psychology

Faculty Advisor

Joe Williams

Expected Graduation Date

2020

Location

Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

Start Date

4-13-2019 2:00 PM

End Date

4-13-2019 3:00 PM

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

Due to an increased prevalence of chronic neuropathic pain and heightening opioid-related concerns, safer and non-addictive treatment alternatives are needed. One such alternative is spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy, which involves applying high frequency electromagnetic pulses to target areas along the spinal cord. Although SCS provides pain relief to patients who have failed more conservative treatments, little is known about the mechanism by which SCS provides pain relief. The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of phase polarity and charge balance of SCS waveforms on pain behavior and gene expression in a neuropathic pain rodent model. Rats were implanted with a four-contact mini-lead and randomly assigned to two control and five test groups featuring different SCS waveforms. Behavioral score as a percent of baseline (BSPB) was assessed, and the ipsilateral dorsal quadrant of the spinal cord adjacent to the lead was harvested post-stimulation and processed to determine gene expression via RT-PCR. BSPB was significantly improved post-stim compared to pre-stim for four waveforms, and RT-PCR analysis showed that eight genes demonstrated a significant difference between SNI and/or the other waveforms. Our results exhibit that specific waveforms differentially modulate several key transcriptional pathways relevant in chronic pain conditions.

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Apr 13th, 2:00 PM Apr 13th, 3:00 PM

Effects of Phase Polarity and Charge Balance of Spinal Cord Stimulation on Behavior and Gene Expression in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain

Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

Due to an increased prevalence of chronic neuropathic pain and heightening opioid-related concerns, safer and non-addictive treatment alternatives are needed. One such alternative is spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy, which involves applying high frequency electromagnetic pulses to target areas along the spinal cord. Although SCS provides pain relief to patients who have failed more conservative treatments, little is known about the mechanism by which SCS provides pain relief. The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of phase polarity and charge balance of SCS waveforms on pain behavior and gene expression in a neuropathic pain rodent model. Rats were implanted with a four-contact mini-lead and randomly assigned to two control and five test groups featuring different SCS waveforms. Behavioral score as a percent of baseline (BSPB) was assessed, and the ipsilateral dorsal quadrant of the spinal cord adjacent to the lead was harvested post-stimulation and processed to determine gene expression via RT-PCR. BSPB was significantly improved post-stim compared to pre-stim for four waveforms, and RT-PCR analysis showed that eight genes demonstrated a significant difference between SNI and/or the other waveforms. Our results exhibit that specific waveforms differentially modulate several key transcriptional pathways relevant in chronic pain conditions.