Direct comparison of cervical and high thoracic spinal cord injury reveals distinct autonomic and cardiovascular consequences

A wide range of spinal cord levels (cervical 8–thoracic 6) project to the stellate ganglia (which provides >90% of sympathetic supply to the heart), with a peak at the thoracic 2 (T 2 ) level. We hypothesize that despite the proximity of the lesions, high thoracic spinal cord injuries (i.e., T 2–3 SCI) do not closely mimic the hemodynamic responses recorded with cervical SCI (i.e., C 6–7 SCI). To test this hypothesis, rats were instrumented...