# Dysfunction in cutaneous thermoregulatory control after spinal cord injury

> **NIH NIH R21** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $429,000

## Abstract

Abstract
A dominant class of postganglionic neurons in paravertebral thoracic chain ganglia are vasoconstrictors innervating
distributed organ systems including skin and muscle. For muscle, control of blood flow via vasoconstrictors
operates over a narrow range. In comparison, dramatic changes in blood flow are controlled by the cutaneous
vasoconstrictor system as part of a highly complex control system vitally important in homeostasis including
thermoregulation. After spinal cord injuries (SCI) there is loss of cutaneous thermoregulatory control below the
injury site. This can lead to detrimental effects on physiology including rendering individuals as functionally
poikilothermic and prone to hypothermia and hyperthermia. This field of autonomic dysfunction after SCI is highly
understudied. A completely unexplored area is whether selective neuromodulation stimulation-based control
targeting of thoracic paravertebral sympathetic chain be used to control cutaneous vasoconstrictor function.
Preclinical studies are required to assess targeted interventions at this site. Modulatory control of cutaneous
vasoconstrictor function after SCI in innervation territories deprived of brainstem drive circuits may also be
amenable for use in smart feedback-based control technologies for homeostatic control of vascular vasoconstrictor
function. Presently we take advantage of the R21 exploratory research mechanism to assess whether thoracic
chain ganglia can be used as a novel site for neuromodulation-based control of cutaneous vasoconstrictors.
We recently developed an ex vivo adult mouse model that makes us rather uniquely positioned for comprehensive
assessment of thoracic chain ganglia as a target site for therapeutic control via interfacing neuromodulation
technologies. Here we leverage powerful optogenetic approaches to selectively recruit vasoconstrictors to guide
optimization of electrical stimulation strategies that preferentially target activation of postganglionic over
preganglionics axons. Due to their projections to prevertebral ganglia (e.g. celiac and mesenteric) recruitment of
preganglionics is likely to have undesirable off target actions. Assessment of vasoconstrictor recruitment along the
thoracic sympathetic chain is likely to offer ability for selective segmental control of vasomotor function. Once
characterized we will compare recruitment results to those seen after high thoracic spinal cord injury at acute (first
week) and more chronic stages (3 to 6 weeks).
If successful, combined approaches will have determined that; (1) selective recruitment of thoracic chain
paravertebral ganglia can be used to preferentially control cutaneous vasoconstrictor activity, (2) measured changes
in skin temperature can be used as a feedback variable to increase cutaneous vasoconstrictor activity, and (3)
whether targeting these ganglia could provide a substrate for translational neuromodulation-based approaches to
control dysfunction in cutaneous thermoregula...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9958859
- **Project number:** 1R21NS116724-01
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SHAWN HOCHMAN
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $429,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2022-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9958859

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9958859, Dysfunction in cutaneous thermoregulatory control after spinal cord injury (1R21NS116724-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9958859. Licensed CC0.

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