Evidence mapPaperPMID 41840049Full record

ArticleWorld journal of urology2026

An environmental enrichment facilitates the recovery of lower urinary tract function after spinal cord injury through downmodulation of neurogenic activity in female rats.

Maria Isabel Santiago-Aparicio, José Luis Palacios-Galicia, Yolanda Cruz-Gomez, Yingchun Zhang, Xuhong Li, Alvaro Munoz

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Article in World journal of urology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Maria Isabel Santiago-AparicioMaestria en Estudios Transdiciplinares en Ciencia y Tecnologia, Northern Region University Center, University of Guadalajara, Colotlan, Jalisco, Mexico.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9914-0182
José Luis Palacios-GaliciaFacultad de Ciencias para el Desarrollo Humano, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2964-0995
Yolanda Cruz-GomezCentro Tlaxcala de Biologia de la Conducta, Universidad Autonoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0448-2628
Yingchun ZhangDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1927-4103
Xuhong LiDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4332-5249
Alvaro MunozDepartment of Welfare and Sustainable Development, Northern Region University Center, University of Guadalajara, Carretera Federal No. 23, Km. 191, Jalisco, 46200, Colotlan, Mexico. alvaro.munoz@cunorte.udg.mx.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5726-0810

Funding

Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation CBF-2025-I-369
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeOur objective was to determine whether exposure to an environmental enrichment (EE) promotes recovery of micturition following thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats.

introductionSpinal cord injury (SCI) often disrupts bladder-sphincter coordination, resulting in neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) that severely impacts quality of life. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to enhance neuroplasticity and functional recovery after CNS injury, but its potential effects on urinary control remain poorly characterized. MATERIALS AND

methodsTwenty-four adult female rats were assigned to four groups: Sham, Sham-EE, SCI, and SCI-EE. The EE groups were exposed to EE for six weeks. Locomotion, sensitive hindlimb responses, and voiding function were assessed using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score, Von-Frey filaments, and the void spot assay, respectively, every week. At the end of week six, cystometry coupled to EUS electromyography (CMG/EMG-EUS) under anesthesia were performed. Parameters including voiding frequency, voiding area, intercontractile interval, voiding volume, non-voiding contractions, threshold and maximal voiding pressures, and EUS burst properties were analyzed.

resultsSCI induced a marked reduction in locomotion, sensitive responses, voiding efficiency, increased non-voiding contractions, and disrupted bladder-sphincter coordination. “EE exposure significantly increased locomotion scores and Von-Frey sensitivity. Furthermore, voiding efficiency was improved by restoring voided volume, decreasing voiding frequency, reducing detrusor overactivity, and partially restoring EUS burst patterning.

conclusionThese findings indicate somatic improvements and coordination between bladder contractions and sphincter function in SCI-EE rats during voiding. We conclude that EE can enhance the recovery of LUT function following SCI, suggesting that sensory and social stimulation may promote neuroplastic reorganization of spinal circuits controlling micturition. EE may represent a non-invasive strategy for improving NLUTD after SCI.

Indexed as

BehaviorCystometryElectromyographyEnvironmental enrichmentNeurogenic lower urinary tractSpinal cord injury

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.