1. Restoring stepping after spinal cord injury using intraspinal microstimulation and novel control strategies
- Author
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Bradley J. Holinski, Richard B. Stein, Vivian K. Mushahwar, Kevin A. Mazurek, and Dirk G. Everaert
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Electric Stimulation Therapy ,Walking ,Article ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,medicine ,Animals ,Microstimulation ,Force platform ,Ground reaction force ,Gait ,Spinal cord injury ,Gait Disorders, Neurologic ,Spinal Cord Injuries ,Muscle fatigue ,business.industry ,Biofeedback, Psychology ,Recovery of Function ,Neurophysiology ,medicine.disease ,Spinal cord ,Treatment Outcome ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Spinal Cord ,Gait analysis ,Cats ,Female ,business ,human activities - Abstract
The overall objective of this project is to develop a feedback-driven intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) system. We hypothesize that ISMS will enhance the functionality of stepping by reducing muscle fatigue and producing synergistic movements by activating neural networks in the spinal cord. In the present pilot study, the controller was tested with ISMS and external sensors (force plates, gyroscopes, and accelerometers). Cats were partially supported in a sling and bi-laterally stepped overground on a 4-m instrumented walkway. The walkway had variable friction. Limb angle was controlled to within 10° even in the presence of variable friction. Peak ground reaction forces in each limb were approximately 12% of body weight (12.5% was full load bearing in this experimental setup); rarely, the total supportive force briefly decreased to as low as 4.1%. Magnetic resonance images were acquired of the excised spinal cord and the implanted array. The majority of electrodes (75%) were implanted successfully into their target regions. This represents the first successful application of ISMS for overground walking.
- Published
- 2011
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