Panel Discussion- Processing of Spatiotemporally Complex Inputs by the Spinal Dorsal Horn: Implications for Spinal Cord Stimulation Inhibitory Dorsal Horn Neurons

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) mediates analgesia by modulating the activity and connectivity of spinal neural circuits. This basic science session will highlight recent advances revealing how dorsal column stimulation spatiotemporally reorganizes the firing dynamics of dorsal horn networks. Presentations will draw on complementary approaches, including computational modeling, in vivo electrophysiological recordings from identified dorsal horn neurons, and optical imaging of molecularly defined neuronal populations. The session will explore how neuropathic pain alters dorsal horn activity, identify emerging biomarkers of pain and therapeutic efficacy, and propose new mechanistic insights into how electrical stimulation exerts its effects. Particular emphasis will be placed on how sensory information flow through the dorsal horn is regulated by inhibitory tone, and how kilohertz-frequency SCS may engage inhibition more effectively than conventional stimulation. Recent two-photon imaging studies of defined inhibitory interneurons will further illustrate how specific SCS parameters shape neuronal activation and network organization.