# Hemodynamic basis for secondary cervical grey matter tissue loss after spinal cord injury

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2024 · $379,861

## Abstract

Abstract
 Currently, there is no known treatment to limit and/or protect the injured spinal cord from secondary
damage in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). More than 60% of SCIs occur at the cervical spine, resulting in
respiratory dysfunction, and quadriplegia, which is the paralysis of all four limbs, severely affecting patients'
quality of life. A therapeutic strategy that can reduce grey matter tissue loss could have dramatic and
meaningful functional outcomes for patients with cervical SCI. The overall objective of this proposal is to
examine and evaluate critical blood flow parameters that can reduce grey matter loss for improved functional
recovery after cervical SCI in a rodent model.
 Acutely after traumatic SCI, a complete loss of blood flow occurs at the injury center and is thought to
be a major contributor of the injury expansion during the secondary phase. Improving blood flow to the lesion
center and adjacent tissue has long been considered desirable to mitigate the loss of neural tissue. However,
until recently, there were no techniques available to monitor spinal cord blood flow in vivo in real-time.
Recently, we have developed a novel intravital ultrafast ultrasound imaging technique to visualize spinal
blood flow in real-time with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. This new technology has created
a unique opportunity to evaluate local spinal hemodynamic changes in real-time. Recent work from our group
has shown that ultrafast ultrasound can 1) detect distinct areas of perfusion loss, in both the grey and white
matter 2) evaluate quality of peri-lesional blood flow, and 3) visualize patent spinal vessel morphology (down to
~ 50 micrometer) in a rat thoracic SCI model. Excitingly, we have now extended this work to include non-
invasive 3D image acquisitions, allowing us to monitor blood flow changes within the injured spinal cord
in 4D (3D imaging with time). In addition to the loss of blood flow at the lesion center, injury areas often
experience progressive hemorrhaging, resulting in an expanding hematoma. We hypothesize that reducing
the propagation of intraparenchymal hemorrhage and reducing elevated intraspinal pressure after SCI
can improve spinal tissue perfusion and mitigate secondary grey matter loss for improved functional
outcomes. Importantly, because there are known sex differences in cerebral blood flow and response to spinal
cord injury, we will examine the hemodynamic changes after cervical SCI in both males and females. By
applying this innovative ultrasound imaging, we aim to (1) discover critical perfusion thresholds for grey matter
tissue at risk, (2) monitor spatial and temporal development of the intraparenchymal hematoma, and (3)
evaluate treatment effects of reducing raised intraspinal pressure in real-time. Overall, these studies will
provide direct insights into the critical hemodynamic changes within the microcirculation of the spinal cord, as
well as effective ways of limiting seconda...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10813877
- **Project number:** 5R01NS121191-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** ZIN Z KHAING
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $379,861
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-15 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10813877

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10813877, Hemodynamic basis for secondary cervical grey matter tissue loss after spinal cord injury (5R01NS121191-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10813877. Licensed CC0.

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