Cervical spinal cord stimulation improves neurological dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm

The effect of cervical spinal cord stimulation on the cerebral blood flow has been investigated both experimentally and clinically since 1986. Although the effect of the spinal cord stimulation on cerebral ischemia induced by cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage has been investigated widely, neurological dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm and the effect of the spinal cord stimulation on neurological dysfunction have not been investigated so far. The aim of this study is to investigate the neurological dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage and whether the spinal cord stimulation improves this neurological dysfunction or not in New Zealand albino rabbits. The animals were divided into sham and experiment groups: Sham group. Motor evoked potentials were recorded before experimental procedure was performed in this group. Just after, intracisternal saline was injected and 3 days later a stimulation electrode was placed in the cervical epidural space. Motor evoked potentials were recorded but electrical stimulation was not applied. Experiment group. Firstly, motor evoked potentials had been recorded before experimental procedure was performed in also this group. After then a stimulation electrode was placed in the cervical epidural space of the animals in which subarachnoid hemorrhage procedure was performed 3 days ago. Motor evoked potentials were recorded both before and after spinal cord stimulation. Motor evoked potential latencies and amplitudes did not change in the sham operation group. But, motor evoked potential latencies extended and the amplitudes decreased in the experiment group before spinal cord stimulation. Spinal cord stimulation improved the changes occurring in latencies and amplitudes in the experiment group. Spinal cord stimulation improves the neurological dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm and motor evoked potentials recording is a reliable electrophysiological method to detect cerebral vasospasm and to assess the effects of different treatments in cerebral vasospasm.