Standardized Evaluation of DIAm EMG Post-C₂SH in Rats to Minimize Variability

Respiratory complications are the leading cause of death in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Animal models of cSCI are essential for mechanistic evaluations and pre-clinical studies. Here, we introduce a reproducible method to assess functional recovery of diaphragm muscle (DIAm) activity following unilateral C₂ spinal hemisection (C₂SH) in rats.