Figure 1.

A–H, Representative cystometrograms of spinal-intact and SCI animals. A, In spinal-intact animals, the pattern of bladder function was normal but significantly altered at 1 week after SCI (B), when bladder reflex activity was completely abolished. C, Four weeks after SCI, animals presented bladder hyperactivity. Placement of an indwelling intrathecal catheter linked to an osmotic mini-pump for continuous delivery of sterile saline to SCI animals for 1 week (D) or 4 (E) weeks did not affect bladder function. F, Chronic intrathecal BDNF sequestration with TrkB-Ig₂, initiated immediately after SCI and lasting for 1 week, resulted in bladder hyperactivity. G, Intrathecal administration of BDNF (0.7 μg/d) for 4 weeks, initiated immediately after cord injury, resulted in alterations of bladder function compared with nontreated 4 week SCI rats. H, The highest dose of BDNF did not induce significant changes in bladder activity when compared with nontreated SCI-animals at the same time point.