Cited by 21Neuroscience and Neural EngineeringPain Management and TreatmentPain Mechanisms and Treatments

Spatial models of cell distribution in human lumbar dorsal root ganglia

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Sperry, Zachariah J., Graham, Robert D., Peck‐Dimit, Nicholas, Lempka, Scott F., Bruns, Tim M.·2020·Journal of Comparative Neurology

Abstract

Dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which contain the somata of primary sensory neurons, have increasingly been considered as novel targets for clinical neural interfaces, both for neuroprosthetic and pain applications. Effective use of either neural recording or stimulation technologies requires an appropriate spatial position relative to the target neural element, whether axon or cell body. However, the internal three‐dimensional spatial organization of human DRG neural fibers and somata has not been quantitatively described. In this study, we analyzed 202 cross‐sectional images across the length of 31 human L4 and L5 DRG from 10 donors. We used a custom semi‐automated graphical user interface to identify the locations of neural elements in the images and normalize the output to a consistent spatial reference for direct comparison by spinal level. By applying a recursive partitioning algorithm, we found that the highest density of cell bodies at both spinal levels could be found in the inner 85% of DRG length, the outer‐most 25–30% radially, and the dorsal‐most 69–76%. While axonal density was fairly homogeneous across the DRG length, there was a distinct low density region in the outer 7–11% radially. These findings are consistent with previous qualitative reports of neural distribution in DRG. The quantitative measurements we provide will enable improved targeting of future neural interface technologies and DRG‐focused pharmaceutical therapies, and provide a rigorous anatomical description of the bridge between the central and peripheral nervous systems.

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  • The main source of uncertainty in our estimates is the total number of fibers in the dorsal root and, most importantly, the proportion of myelinated Ab fibers for each dermatome.

    “The main source of uncertainty in our estimates is the total number of fibers in the dorsal root and, most importantly, the proportion of myelinated Ab fibers for each dermatome (Davenport and Bothe 1934;Sperry et al. 2020).”

    From Tactile innervation densities across the whole body (2020) · cites this paper as Sperry et al. 2020

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports lumbar DRG axon counts and explains that unmyelinated fibers may have been undercounted, supporting uncertainty about total fiber numbers. It does not give the proportion of myelinated Aβ fibers for each dermatome or establish that this is the most important source of uncertainty in the citing authors’ estimates. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Our estimates agree well with a recent count in the L4 and L5 dorsal roots that found around 30% of axons had a diameter bigger than 5 mm, not all of which contribute to the tactile innervation of the skin.

    “Our estimates also agree well with a recent count in the L4 and L5 dorsal roots that found around 30% of axons had a diameter bigger than 5 mm, not all of which contribute to the tactile innervation of the skin (Sperry et al. 2020).”

    From Tactile innervation densities across the whole body (2020) · cites this paper as Sperry et al. 2020

    The Results (Neural Counts and Densities; page unavailable) report a large-to-small axon ratio of 42.4% in the L4/L5 dorsal root ganglia, equivalent to roughly 30% large axons among those counted. The paper does not establish that 30% of all L4/L5 dorsal-root axons exceed the stated 5 mm diameter threshold; its Discussion also cautions that small axons were undercounted. The Introduction describes large sensory fibers as including proprioceptive as well as mechanoreceptive fibers, broadly supporting the caveat that they are not all for skin touch. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • This question has only been investigated experimentally in a subset of dorsal roots, and different studies report conflicting results.

    “This question has only been investigated experimentally in a subset of dorsal roots, and different studies report conflicting results.”

    From Tactile innervation densities across the whole body (2020) · cites this paper as Sperry et al. 2020

    The Introduction says few studies have examined DRG spatial organization, and the Discussion describes this paper’s analysis of human L4 and L5 ganglia. Neither passage establishes that the question was experimentally investigated only in a subset of dorsal roots or that studies reported conflicting results. Searches for those phrases and their paraphrases found no passage addressing both points. (LLM, conf=0.68)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Sperry, Z. J., Graham, R. D., Peck‐Dimit, N., Lempka, S. F., & Bruns, T. M.
Affiliations
University of Michigan (US)
Corresponding author
  • Lempka, Scott F.
  • Bruns, Tim M.
Venue
Journal of Comparative Neurology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2020-01-06
Volume
528
Issue
10
Pages
1644-1659
ISSN
  • 0021-9967 (ISSN-L)
  • 1096-9861
OpenAlex
W2997314413
Cited by
21
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1
FWCI
1.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Comparative Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (1653080)
  • Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan (Graduate Student Research Grants, Predoctoral Fellowship)
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U42OD11158)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS089530)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
dorsal root ganglia, axon density, primary sensory neurons, lumbar spinal cord, neural recording, neurostimulation, recursive partitioning
MeSH terms
Ganglia, Spinal, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Lumbar Vertebrae, Neurons, Imaging, Three-Dimensional

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