Abstract #0200

Repeated functional magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbosacral cord during electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve

Christian W. Kündig¹, Silvan Büeler^1,2, Martina D. Liechti², Thomas M. Kessler², Patrick Freund^1,3,4, and Gergely David^1,2

¹Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, ²Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, ³Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany, ⁴Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Synopsis

Keywords: Task/Intervention Based fMRI, Spinal Cord, Stimulations

Motivation: Reliable clinical biomarkers for predicting recovery after spinal cord injury are lacking. Functional MRI of the lumbosacral cord could offer valuable insights into preserved function below the injury level.

Goal(s): Our goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of lumbosacral cord fMRI during a sensory task and investigate the impact of scan length.

Approach: We conducted fMRI in 20 healthy subjects during block-designed electrical stimulation of the right tibial nerve across two sessions.

Results: Significant BOLD signal changes were observed in the ipsilateral dorsal region of the spinal cord. Although 24 minutes of acquisition proved sufficient, the second session detected considerably less activity.

Impact: BOLD fMRI of the lumbosacral cord during transcutaneous electrical tibial nerve stimulation is feasible, and the required scan times of 24 minutes are clinically achievable. The differences between sessions suggest an impact of habituation, warranting further investigation.

How to access this content:

For one year after publication, abstracts and videos are only open to registrants of this annual meeting. Registrants should use their existing login information. Non-registrant access can be purchased via the ISMRM E-Library.

After one year, current ISMRM & ISMRT members get free access to both the abstracts and videos. Non-members and non-registrants must purchase access via the ISMRM E-Library.

After two years, the meeting proceedings (abstracts) are opened to the public and require no login information. Videos remain behind password for access by members, registrants and E-Library customers.

Click here for more information on becoming a member.