Impact of glutamatergic and serotonergic neurotransmission on diaphragm muscle activity after cervical spinal hemisection

In this study, we show that pharmacological inhibition of glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors blunts ipsilateral diaphragm activity post-SH. In contrast, pharmacological inhibition of serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors does not change diaphragm EMG activity post-SH. Our results suggest that NMDA receptor-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission plays an important role in enhancing rhythmic respiratory-related diaphragm activity after spinal cord injury.

Source: Journal of Neurophysiology - September 5, 2017 Category: Neurology Authors: Mantilla, C. B., Gransee, H. M., Zhan, W.-Z., Sieck, G. C. Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research