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Spinal and cortical spreading depression enhance spinal cord activity
A Gorji1, P K Zahn, E M Pogatzki
1Institut für Physiologie, Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany. gorjial@uni-muenster.de
Neurobiology of Disease
|January 31, 2004
Summary
Cortical spreading depression (CSD) was found to enhance spinal cord activity after a brief suppression, suggesting a role in neurological disorders like migraine and spinal cord injury. This research highlights CSD
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Spinal Cord Research
Background:
- Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is implicated in neurological conditions like migraine.
- Research on CSD in the brain is extensive, but its presence and role in the spinal cord are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize CSD in the spinal cord using various induction methods.
- To investigate the impact of CSD on spinal cord neuronal activity.
- To explore the potential role of CSD in spinal cord injury, pain, and neurogenic shock.
Main Methods:
- Induction of CSD in the cortex via pinprick injury or KCl injection.
- Analysis of CSD propagation into the cervical spinal cord.
- Intracellular recordings from dorsal horn neurons in the C2 spinal cord segment.
Main Results:
- CSD did not propagate into the cervical spinal cord.
- Spinal cord neurons exhibited transient suppression of activity followed by enhanced neuronal firing after cortical CSD.
- CSD was observed to enhance spinal cord activity post-suppression.
Conclusions:
- CSD influences spinal cord neuronal activity, with a suppressive phase followed by excitation.
- Findings suggest CSD may contribute to mechanisms underlying spinal cord injury, pain, and neurogenic shock.
- This study links cortical spreading depression to potential mechanisms involved in migraine-associated neurological symptoms and pain.