Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39480757›Full record

ArticlePLoS biology2024

A multichannel electrophysiological approach to noninvasively and precisely record human spinal cord activity.

Birgit Nierula, Tilman Stephani, Emma Bailey, Merve Kaptan, Lisa-Marie Geertje Pohle, Ulrike Horn, André Mouraux, Burkhard Maess, Arno Villringer, Gabriel Curio and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS biology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Spatial distribution of spinal cord fMRI activity with electrocutaneous stimulation.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Birgit NierulaMax Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Tilman StephaniResearch Group Neural Interactions and Dynamics, Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Emma BaileyMax Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Merve KaptanMax Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Lisa-Marie Geertje PohleMax Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Ulrike HornMax Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
André MourauxInstitute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Burkhard MaessMethods and Development Group Brain Networks, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Arno VillringerDepartment of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Gabriel CurioDepartment of Neurology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Vadim V NikulinResearch Group Neural Interactions and Dynamics, Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Falk EippertMax Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3986-1719

Funding

European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme 758974
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The spinal cord is of fundamental importance for integrative processing in brain-body communication, yet routine noninvasive recordings in humans are hindered by vast methodological challenges. Here, we overcome these challenges by developing an easy-to-use electrophysiological approach based on high-density multichannel spinal recordings combined with multivariate spatial-filtering analyses. These advances enable a spatiotemporal characterization of spinal cord responses and demonstrate a sensitivity that permits assessing even single-trial responses. To furthermore enable the study of integrative processing along the neural processing hierarchy in somatosensation, we expand this approach by simultaneous peripheral, spinal, and cortical recordings and provide direct evidence that bottom-up integrative processing occurs already within the spinal cord and thus after the first synaptic relay in the central nervous system. Finally, we demonstrate the versatility of this approach by providing noninvasive recordings of nociceptive spinal cord responses during heat-pain stimulation. Beyond establishing a new window on human spinal cord function at millisecond timescale, this work provides the foundation to study brain-body communication in its entirety in health and disease.

Indexed as

Electrophysiological PhenomenaSpinal CordAdultElectrophysiologyFemaleHumansMaleYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39480757
PMCPMC11527246

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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 OpenQuestion graph.