Foecking Eileen M, Fargo Keith N, Coughlin Lisa M, Kim James T, Marzo Sam J, Jones Kathryn J
Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA.
J Rehabil Res Dev. 2012;49(3):451-8. doi: 10.1682/jrrd.2011.03.0033.
Peripheral nerve injuries lead to a variety of pathological conditions, including paresis or paralysis when the injury involves motor axons. We have been studying ways to enhance the regeneration of peripheral nerves using daily electrical stimulation (ES) following a facial nerve crush injury. In our previous studies, ES was not initiated until 24 h after injury. The current experiment tested whether ES administered immediately following the crush injury would further decrease the time for complete recovery from facial paralysis. Rats received a unilateral facial nerve crush injury and an electrode was positioned on the nerve proximal to the crush site. Animals received daily 30 min sessions of ES for 1 d (day of injury only), 2 d, 4 d, 7 d, or daily until complete functional recovery. Untreated animals received no ES. Animals were observed daily for the return of facial function. Our findings demonstrated that one session of ES was as effective as daily stimulation at enhancing the recovery of most functional parameters. Therefore, the use of a single 30 min session of ES as a possible treatment strategy should be studied in human patients with paralysis as a result of acute nerve injuries.
周围神经损伤会导致多种病理状况，当损伤累及运动轴突时，会出现轻瘫或瘫痪。我们一直在研究在面神经挤压伤后通过每日电刺激（ES）来促进周围神经再生的方法。在我们之前的研究中，电刺激直到损伤后24小时才开始。当前实验测试了在挤压伤后立即给予电刺激是否会进一步缩短从面瘫完全恢复的时间。大鼠接受单侧面神经挤压伤，并将电极置于挤压部位近端的神经上。动物每天接受30分钟的电刺激，持续1天（仅损伤当天）、2天、4天、7天，或每天进行直至完全功能恢复。未治疗的动物不接受电刺激。每天观察动物面部功能的恢复情况。我们的研究结果表明，一次电刺激在促进大多数功能参数恢复方面与每日刺激效果相同。因此，对于因急性神经损伤导致瘫痪的人类患者，应研究将单次30分钟的电刺激作为一种可能的治疗策略。
