# Cervical Epidural Stimulation and Respiratory Motor Plasticity

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2024 · $395,588

## Abstract

Project Summary
More than half of traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCI) occur at the cervical level, leading to
paralysis and respiratory compromise or failure. Approximately 20% of cSCI patients will require
ventilator support for which there are very few therapeutic options for recovery. Epidural
stimulation has emerged as a strategy to restore a variety of motor, sensory, and autonomic
functions in both experimental and clinical conditions after SCI. Though limited underlying
mechanisms have been proposed, to date little is known how epidural stimulation elicits motor
function at the neuronal level. Even less is known about the capacity for epidural stimulation to
promote long-lasting spinal plasticity for true device-independence and to date no studies have
explored the potential for eliciting respiratory plasticity. The fundamental hypothesis guiding this
proposal is that long-term, closed-loop epidural stimulation elicits functional improvement in
diaphragm activity that outlasts the period of stimulation via activity-dependent mechanisms
involving BDNF/TrkB signaling in phrenic motor neurons. Preliminary data are promising and
indicate at least some short-term plasticity with longer periods of stimulation (4d). We envision
that more chronic and targeted stimulation parameters will result in longer persistence of motor
recovery. This is the first study to propose chronic epidural stimulation in awake, freely-behaving
animals in a defined respiratory neural circuit. Ultimately, data from this project will serve to
inform development of future investigations of the mechanistic basis of epidural stimulation
efficacy essential for advancing the therapeutic applications to many motor systems but
especially to the neural system controlling breathing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10875510
- **Project number:** 5R01HL153102-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Erica Arden Dale
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $395,588
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10875510

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10875510, Cervical Epidural Stimulation and Respiratory Motor Plasticity (5R01HL153102-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10875510. Licensed CC0.

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