Electrical stimulation may improve sensory nerve regeneration after injury

By Rob Goodier

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One hour of electrical stimulation appeared to improve the regeneration of digital nerves that were severed and reattached, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego.

Out of 36 patients tested, the 18 who were randomized to receive electrical stimulation showed faster recovery and greater improvement in sensory tests at three months after surgery and continuing through the end of the six-month trial, researchers reported November 10 at the conference.

"Since the treatment only takes an hour, the equipment required is relatively economical and widely available, the feasibility of applying it at the clinic should be reasonably good. However, to be scientifically vigorous, we would like to test this in a larger number of patients to ensure that the treatment is robust in a wide variety of clinical practice environments," Dr. Ming Chan, who led the study at the University of Alberta's Center for Neuroscience in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, told Reuters Health by email.

Physicians delivered 20Hz of continuous electricity along wire electrodes implanted under the patients' skin during the nerve reattachment surgery. The controls underwent sham electrical stimulation.

Researchers followed the patients for six months and issued a battery of tests of physiological recovery and functional disability.

Patients who underwent electrical therapy had improvements in a range of nerve fibers and function, according to the study.

Past study has shown that motor nerves regenerate faster with this kind of stimulation, and this research suggests that sensory nerves respond similarly, Dr. Chan says.

Roughly explained, the electricity appears to jolt injured nerves into a higher regenerative pace.

"The increased levels of neurotrophic factors and regeneration associated genes ultimately lead to faster transport of nerve building proteins and result in a greater number of nerve fibers at the growth cone. In turn, the functional recovery becomes faster and more robust," Dr. Chan told Reuters Health.

Encouraged by these results, the researchers have begun testing the treatment in patients with more severe nerve injuries, Dr. Chan said.

The abstract for the presentation is available online here: http://bit.ly/Ide2t1.

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