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Published on: May 5, 2020
The Hemodynamic Mass Action of a Central Pattern Generator.
Mayra Moreno-Castillo1, Roberto Meza1, Jesús Romero-Vaca1
1Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.
Direct current photoplethysmography (DC-PPG) successfully detected spinal cord hemodynamic responses during functional activation. This optical method offers a new way to assess central pattern generator (CPG) integrity in the brainstem and spinal cord.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Physiology
Background:
- Hemodynamic responses are crucial for neuroimaging techniques like fMRI and fNIRS.
- Current neuroimaging methods primarily focus on the brain, with limited application to the spinal cord.
- Understanding spinal cord hemodynamics during functional tasks is largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the efficacy of direct current photoplethysmography (DC-PPG) for detecting spinal cord and brainstem hemodynamic responses.
- To investigate the feasibility of using DC-PPG to monitor functional activation of spinal central pattern generators (CPGs).
Main Methods:
- Two DC-PPG systems were applied to the brainstem and spinal cord of cats during fictive scratching.
- Hemodynamic signals were recorded in real-time, correlating with motoneuron activity.
- The study focused on measuring hemodynamic mass action associated with CPGs.
Main Results:
- DC-PPG successfully detected significant hemodynamic responses in the brainstem and spinal cord.
- The strength of spinal DC-PPG signals correlated with motoneuron activity during motor episodes.
- Real-time detection of robust hemodynamic signals was achieved.
Conclusions:
- DC-PPG is a viable optical method for assessing spinal cord and brainstem hemodynamic responses.
- This technique provides a novel, non-invasive approach to evaluate the integrity of central pattern generators (CPGs).
- Findings establish a proof of concept for DC-PPG in functional CPG assessment.

