Whole-Body Vibration After Compressive Spinal Cord-Injury in Rats Restores Dorsal Horn Synaptic Relations and Alleviates Pain-Associated Behavior.

Authors

Svenja Rink-Notzon, Martin Krueger, Milen Zamfirov, Muthuraman Muthuraman, Diana Schaufler, Levent Sarikcioglu, Süreyya Bilmen, Johannes Vogt, Heiko Endle, Lyudmila Belenska-Todorova, Stoyan Pavlov, Maria Eleni Manthou, Doychin N Angelov

Published in

Restorative neurology and neuroscience. Pages 9226028261464314. Jul 22, 2026. Epub Jul 22, 2026.

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces neuronal loss and demyelination, leading to maladaptive neuronal circuits that drive persistent central neuropathic pain (PCNP). While pharmacological, psychological, and physiotherapeutic approaches have been applied, including whole-body vibration (WBV), synaptic-level mechanisms of WBV remain largely unexplored. Here, we assessed the post-SCI pain-associated behavior index (PAB, based on established behavioral criteria) and compared synapse counts (SYN+, VGLUT1+, ChAT+, VGAT+), CGRP+- and SER+-structures, as well as astrocytic and microglial populations in the lumbar dorsal horn following thoracic SCI in WBV-treated and untreated rats. Animals received WBV from postoperative week 3 to 12, and outcomes were compared with non-treated controls. PAB was consistently reduced in WBV-treated animals. STED-microscopy quantification showed that WBV increased the linear density of VGAT + and VGLUT1 + perisomatic terminals, as well as the number of SER + fibers. Conversely, WBV reduced CGRP + structures in the dorsal horn, decreased the density of CGRP + perisomatic and axo-axonic synapses, and lowered astrocytic and microglial populations. Our data indicate that the WBV-induced frequent (15-30 Hz) muscle contractions and proprioceptive impulses contribute to spasticity modulation (via VGAT-related mechanisms) and attenuation of post-SCI hyperalgesia (CGRP-associated). Together with the reduced astro- and microglia amounts, the described synaptic alterations are considered essential prerequisites for better motor recovery. These findings provide preclinical evidence for the functional benefits of WBV in an animal SCI model and warrant further investigations to determine mechanisms underpinning this non-invasive, low-cost and easily applicable rehabilitation approach.

PMID:
42484540
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Jul 2026.

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