The effects of electrical stimulation of the motor and cutaneous branch of the radial nerve on spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) in the cervical region and the correlation between the changes in SCBF and the amplitudes of spinal cord evoked potentials were investigated in cals anesthetized with alpha;-chloralose. When measured by the hydrogen clearance technique, with stimuli of the cutaneous branch, the SCBF slgnificantly (P 0.01) increased from 37 plusmn; 8 (mean plusmn; SD) to 59 plusmn; 27 ml. 100 g1. min-1at 10 Hz and from 39 plusmn; 6 to 54 plusmn; 9 ml. 100 g1. min-1at 30 Hz, but stimulation of the motor branch had no effect. When measured by laser Doppler flowmetry, stimulation of the motor branch caused a small, transient, and significant increase in SCBF ending within 2 minutes. Stimulation of the cutaneous branch produced a large, prolonged, and significant increases in SCBF. The increase In SCBF produced by stimulation of the cutaneous nerve was significantly greater that by stimulation of the motor branch. The SCBF was correlated linearly with the amplitude of the spinal cord evoked potential (r = 0.504; P 0.01). The increase In SCBF caused by radial nerve stimulation may arlse from changes in neuronal metabolism via peripheral nerve activation.
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