Research Project
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Electrical stimulation of the surgically repaired nerves nerve has been shown to affect nerve regeneration and orientation of neurite growth. In this study, we asked whether electrical stimulation contributes to improvement of the misdirection by inducing orientation of the axonal regeneration. The surgery was performed to the rat sciatic nerve and peripheral branches and electrical stimulation to the nerves was carried out just before or after the surgery. All results of this study showed that electrical stimulation did not affect to the muscle innervated by stimulated nerve and the orientation of the axonal regeneration. It is thought to the factor of the result that the length of the sciatic nerve and peripheral branches is too short to prevent spread of the electrical stimulation to another peripheral branch.
