# Multiple Sessions of Regenerative Electrical Stimulation to Accelerate Sensory Neuron Regeneration

> **NIH NIH F32** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $65,994

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) affect men and women in the prime of their lives, with the loss
of motor and sensory function and neuropathic pain. Regenerative electrical stimulation has been shown
to accelerate functional recovery after a PNI. Preclinical studies have shown that multiple one-hour
sessions of regenerative promoting electrical stimulation can further accelerate motor function recovery,
but have a detrimental effect on sensory regeneration. An investigation to determine a set of parameters
that would benefit both motor and sensory is needed so multiple regenerative stimulation sessions can
become a possible treatment. To evaluate different lengths of stimulation sessions, a few regenerative
associated genes will be evaluated: galanin (GAL), LIF, and GAP 43, but previous studies have not
evaluated GAL or LIF after electrical stimulation treatment. I hypothesize that decreasing the length of
the stimulation will allow for increasing the number of stimulation sessions while still allowing
enhanced LIF and GAL expression. To assess this, I will determine if LIF and GAL are down-
regulated after three hours of regenerative promoting electrical stimulation after a unilateral sciatic nerve
injury; if so, LIF and GAL with GAP 43 will be used to determine a set of parameters for multiple
stimulation session that promote sensory nerve regeneration. The expression will be determined via the
RNAscope of LIF, GAL, and GAP 43, a technique I will learn from the Zigmond laboratory. The
parameters found will then be used to determine if they accelerate regeneration. Regeneration will be
assessed via von Fray filaments, another technique I will learn from the Zigmond lab.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10283693
- **Project number:** 1F32NS122918-01
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** BRIAN BALOG
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $65,994
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2024-07-01

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10283693

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10283693, Multiple Sessions of Regenerative Electrical Stimulation to Accelerate Sensory Neuron Regeneration (1F32NS122918-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10283693. Licensed CC0.

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