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Malloy DC, Côté MP. Multi-session transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation prevents chloride homeostasis imbalance and the development of hyperreflexia after spinal cord injury in rat. Exp Neurol 2024; 376:114754. [PMID: 38493983 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Spasticity is a complex and multidimensional disorder that impacts nearly 75% of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and currently lacks adequate treatment options. This sensorimotor condition is burdensome as hyperexcitability of reflex pathways result in exacerbated reflex responses, co-contractions of antagonistic muscles, and involuntary movements. Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has become a popular tool in the human SCI research field. The likeliness for this intervention to be successful as a noninvasive anti-spastic therapy after SCI is suggested by a mild and transitory improvement in spastic symptoms following a single stimulation session, but it remains to be determined if repeated tSCS over the course of weeks can produce more profound effects. Despite its popularity, the neuroplasticity induced by tSCS also remains widely unexplored, particularly due to the lack of suitable animal models to investigate this intervention. Thus, the basis of this work was to use tSCS over multiple sessions (multi-session tSCS) in a rat model to target spasticity after SCI and identify the long-term physiological improvements and anatomical neuroplasticity occurring in the spinal cord. Here, we show that multi-session tSCS in rats with an incomplete (severe T9 contusion) SCI (1) decreases hyperreflexia, (2) increases the low frequency-dependent modulation of the H-reflex, (3) prevents potassium-chloride cotransporter isoform 2 (KCC2) membrane downregulation in lumbar motoneurons, and (4) generally augments motor output, i.e., EMG amplitude in response to single pulses of tSCS, particularly in extensor muscles. Together, this work displays that multi-session tSCS can target and diminish spasticity after SCI as an alternative to pharmacological interventions and begins to highlight the underlying neuroplasticity contributing to its success in improving functional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon C Malloy
- Marion Murray Spinal Cord Research Center, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States of America.
| | - Marie-Pascale Côté
- Marion Murray Spinal Cord Research Center, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States of America.
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Morgan DW, Stevens SL. Use of water- and land-based gait training to improve walking capacity in adults with complete spinal cord injury: A pilot study. J Spinal Cord Med 2024; 47:404-411. [PMID: 35796664 PMCID: PMC11044748 DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2022.2088507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Little is known regarding the extent to which mobility can be improved using gait-based therapies in individuals with complete spinal cord injury (cSCI). Against this backdrop, the purpose of our study was to document changes in walking capacity following an extended period of underwater treadmill training (UTT) and supplemental overground walk training (OWT) in persons with cSCI. DESIGN Longitudinal design. SETTING University research center. PARTICIPANTS Five adults (mean age = 41.2 ± 5.9 years) with motor-complete (AIS A), chronic (mean years post-injury = 3.2 ± 1.6 years) cSCI who had not received epidural spinal cord stimulation (eSCS). INTERVENTION Participants underwent one year of UTT (3 walking bouts per day; 2-3 days per week). Once independent stepping activity in the water was observed, OWT, as tolerated, was performed prior to UTT. OUTCOME MEASURE Walking capacity was evaluated using the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI-II) prior to UTT (Time 1: T1), six months after the start of UTT (Time 2: T2), and following completion of UTT (Time 3: T3). RESULTS Non-parametric analyses revealed a significant time effect (P < .05) for WISCI-II. Pre-planned comparisons revealed no difference in WISCI-II levels measured at T1 (0.20 ± 0.45) and T2 (4.80 ± 4.55) and at T2 (4.80 ± 4.55) and T3 (8.40 ± 1.34). However, the WISCI-II level obtained at T3 (8.40 ± 1.34) was significantly higher compared to the T1 value. CONCLUSION Our preliminary findings demonstrate that in the absence of eSCS, combined UTT and supplemental OWT can improve functional walking capacity in adults with cSCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don W. Morgan
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Sandra L. Stevens
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
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Kumru H, Ros-Alsina A, García Alén L, Vidal J, Gerasimenko Y, Hernandez A, Wrigth M. Improvement in Motor and Walking Capacity during Multisegmental Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation in Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4480. [PMID: 38674065 PMCID: PMC11050444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcutaneous multisegmental spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has shown superior efficacy in modulating spinal locomotor circuits compared to single-site stimulation in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Building on these findings, we hypothesized that administering a single session of tSCS at multiple spinal segments may yield greater enhancements in muscle strength and gait function during stimulation compared to tSCS at only one or two segments. In our study, tSCS was applied at single segments (C5, L1, and Coc1), two segments (C5-L1, C5-Coc1, and L1-Coc1), or multisegments (C5-L1-Coc1) in a randomized order. We evaluated the 6-m walking test (6MWT) and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and assessed the Hmax/Mmax ratio during stimulation in ten individuals with incomplete motor SCI. Our findings indicate that multisegmental tSCS improved walking time and reduced spinal cord excitability, as measured by the Hmax/Mmax ratio, similar to some single or two-site tSCS interventions. However, only multisegmental tSCS resulted in increased tibialis anterior (TA) muscle strength. These results suggest that multisegmental tSCS holds promise for enhancing walking capacity, increasing muscle strength, and altering spinal cord excitability in individuals with incomplete SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Kumru
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de NeurorehabilitacióAdscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.R.-A.); (L.G.A.); (J.V.); (A.H.); (M.W.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Aina Ros-Alsina
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de NeurorehabilitacióAdscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.R.-A.); (L.G.A.); (J.V.); (A.H.); (M.W.)
| | - Loreto García Alén
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de NeurorehabilitacióAdscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.R.-A.); (L.G.A.); (J.V.); (A.H.); (M.W.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Vidal
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de NeurorehabilitacióAdscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.R.-A.); (L.G.A.); (J.V.); (A.H.); (M.W.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Yury Gerasimenko
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia;
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Agusti Hernandez
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de NeurorehabilitacióAdscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.R.-A.); (L.G.A.); (J.V.); (A.H.); (M.W.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark Wrigth
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de NeurorehabilitacióAdscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.R.-A.); (L.G.A.); (J.V.); (A.H.); (M.W.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Moon Y, Yang C, Veit NC, McKenzie KA, Kim J, Aalla S, Yingling L, Buchler K, Hunt J, Jenz S, Shin SY, Kishta A, Edgerton VR, Gerasimenko YP, Roth EJ, Lieber RL, Jayaraman A. Noninvasive spinal stimulation improves walking in chronic stroke survivors: a proof-of-concept case series. Biomed Eng Online 2024; 23:38. [PMID: 38561821 PMCID: PMC10986021 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-024-01231-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND After stroke, restoring safe, independent, and efficient walking is a top rehabilitation priority. However, in nearly 70% of stroke survivors asymmetrical walking patterns and reduced walking speed persist. This case series study aims to investigate the effectiveness of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) in enhancing walking ability of persons with chronic stroke. METHODS Eight participants with hemiparesis after a single, chronic stroke were enrolled. Each participant was assigned to either the Stim group (N = 4, gait training + tSCS) or Control group (N = 4, gait training alone). Each participant in the Stim group was matched to a participant in the Control group based on age, time since stroke, and self-selected gait speed. For the Stim group, tSCS was delivered during gait training via electrodes placed on the skin between the spinous processes of C5-C6, T11-T12, and L1-L2. Both groups received 24 sessions of gait training over 8 weeks with a physical therapist providing verbal cueing for improved gait symmetry. Gait speed (measured from 10 m walk test), endurance (measured from 6 min walk test), spatiotemporal gait symmetries (step length and swing time), as well as the neurophysiological outcomes (muscle synergy, resting motor thresholds via spinal motor evoked responses) were collected without tSCS at baseline, completion, and 3 month follow-up. RESULTS All four Stim participants sustained spatiotemporal symmetry improvements at the 3 month follow-up (step length: 17.7%, swing time: 10.1%) compared to the Control group (step length: 1.1%, swing time 3.6%). Additionally, 3 of 4 Stim participants showed increased number of muscle synergies and/or lowered resting motor thresholds compared to the Control group. CONCLUSIONS This study provides promising preliminary evidence that using tSCS as a therapeutic catalyst to gait training may increase the efficacy of gait rehabilitation in individuals with chronic stroke. Trial registration NCT03714282 (clinicaltrials.gov), registration date: 2018-10-18.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaejin Moon
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Department of Exercise Science, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13057, USA
| | - Chen Yang
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Nicole C Veit
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Department, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Kelly A McKenzie
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Jay Kim
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Shreya Aalla
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Lindsey Yingling
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Kristine Buchler
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Jasmine Hunt
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Sophia Jenz
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Sung Yul Shin
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Ameen Kishta
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Broccoli Impossible-to-Possible Lab, Rancho Research Institute, Downy, CA, 90242, USA
- Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Yury P Gerasimenko
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elliot J Roth
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Richard L Lieber
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Hines VA Medical Center, Maywood, IL, 60141, USA
| | - Arun Jayaraman
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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Tajali S, Balbinot G, Pakosh M, Sayenko DG, Zariffa J, Masani K. Modulations in neural pathways excitability post transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation among individuals with spinal cord injury: a systematic review. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1372222. [PMID: 38591069 PMCID: PMC11000807 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1372222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS), a non-invasive form of spinal cord stimulation, has been shown to improve motor function in individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the effects of different types of TSCS currents including direct current (DC-TSCS), alternating current (AC-TSCS), and spinal paired stimulation on the excitability of neural pathways have not been systematically investigated. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effects of TSCS on the excitability of neural pathways in adults with non-progressive SCI at any level. Methods The following databases were searched from their inception until June 2022: MEDLINE ALL, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and clinical trials. A total of 4,431 abstracts were screened, and 23 articles were included. Results Nineteen studies used TSCS at the thoracolumbar enlargement for lower limb rehabilitation (gait & balance) and four studies used cervical TSCS for upper limb rehabilitation. Sixteen studies measured spinal excitability by reporting different outcomes including Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex), flexion reflex excitability, spinal motor evoked potentials (SMEPs), cervicomedullay evoked potentials (CMEPs), and cutaneous-input-evoked muscle response. Seven studies measured corticospinal excitability using motor evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and one study measured somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) following TSCS. Our findings indicated a decrease in the amplitude of H-reflex and long latency flexion reflex following AC-TSCS, alongside an increase in the amplitudes of SMEPs and CMEPs. Moreover, the application of the TSCS-TMS paired associative technique resulted in spinal reflex inhibition, manifested by reduced amplitudes in both the H-reflex and flexion reflex arc. In terms of corticospinal excitability, findings from 5 studies demonstrated an increase in the amplitude of MEPs linked to lower limb muscles following DC-TSCS, in addition to paired associative stimulation involving repetitive TMS on the brain and DC-TSCS on the spine. There was an observed improvement in the latency of SSEPs in a single study. Notably, the overall quality of evidence, assessed by the modified Downs and Black Quality assessment, was deemed poor. Discussion This review unveils the systematic evidence supporting the potential of TSCS in reshaping both spinal and supraspinal neuronal circuitries post-SCI. Yet, it underscores the critical necessity for more rigorous, high-quality investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Tajali
- KITE Research Institute – University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gustavo Balbinot
- KITE Research Institute – University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Center for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application – CRANIA, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maureen Pakosh
- Library & Information Services, University Health Network, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, ON, Canada
| | - Dimitry G. Sayenko
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jose Zariffa
- KITE Research Institute – University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kei Masani
- KITE Research Institute – University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Rejc E, Bowersock C, Pisolkar T, Omofuma I, Luna T, Khan M, Santamaria V, Ugiliweneza B, Angeli CA, Forrest GF, Stein J, Agrawal S, Harkema SJ. Robotic Postural Training With Epidural Stimulation for the Recovery of Upright Postural Control in Individuals With Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study. Neurotrauma Rep 2024; 5:277-292. [PMID: 38515546 PMCID: PMC10956531 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2024.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Activity-based training and lumbosacral spinal cord epidural stimulation (scES) have the potential to restore standing and walking with self-balance assistance after motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI). However, improvements in upright postural control have not previously been addressed in this population. Here, we implemented a novel robotic postural training with scES, performed with free hands, to restore upright postural control in individuals with chronic, cervical (n = 5) or high-thoracic (n = 1) motor complete SCI, who had previously undergone stand training with scES using a walker or a standing frame for self-balance assistance. Robotic postural training re-enabled and/or largely improved the participants' ability to control steady standing, self-initiated trunk movements and upper limb reaching movements while standing with free hands, receiving only external assistance for pelvic control. These improvements were associated with neuromuscular activation pattern adaptations above and below the lesion. These findings suggest that the human spinal cord below the level of injury can generate meaningful postural responses when its excitability is modulated by scES, and can learn to improve these responses. Upright postural control improvements can enhance functional motor recovery promoted by scES after severe SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Rejc
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Collin Bowersock
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Tanvi Pisolkar
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Isirame Omofuma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tatiana Luna
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Moiz Khan
- Department of Radiology at BWH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Victor Santamaria
- Department of Physical Therapy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Beatrice Ugiliweneza
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Claudia A Angeli
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gail F Forrest
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Joel Stein
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sunil Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan J Harkema
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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Massey S, Konig D, Upadhyay P, Evcil ZB, Melin R, Fatima M, Hannah R, Duffell L. The effects of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation delivered with and without high-frequency modulation on spinal and corticospinal excitability. Artif Organs 2024; 48:297-308. [PMID: 37840354 DOI: 10.1111/aor.14660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) has been shown to improve motor recovery in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Some groups deliver TSCS modulated with a kHz-frequency (TSCS-kHz); the intensity used for TSCS-kHz is usually set based on the motor threshold for TSCS, even though TSCS-kHz threshold is considerably higher than TSCS. As a result, TSCS-kHz interventions tend to be delivered at low intensities with respect to the motor threshold (~40%). In this study, we compared the effects of sub-threshold TSCS and TSCS-kHz, when delivered at similar intensity relative to their own motor threshold. Experiment I compared the after-effects of 20 min of sub-threshold (40% threshold) TSCS and TSCS-kHz on spinal and corticospinal excitability in able-bodied participants. Experiment II assessed the dose-response relationship of delivering short (10-pulse) trains of TSCS and TSCS-kHz at three different current intensities relative to the threshold (40%, 60%, and 80%). Experiment I found that 20 min of TSCS-kHz at a 40% threshold decreased posterior root reflex amplitude (p < 0.05), whereas TSCS did not. In experiment II, motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude increased following short trains of TSCS and TSCS-kHz of increasing intensity. MEP amplitude was significantly greater for TSCS-kHz compared with TSCS when delivered at 80% of the threshold (p < 0.05). These results suggest that TSCS and TSCS-kHz have different effects when delivered at similar intensity relative to their own threshold; both for immediate effects on corticospinal excitability and following prolonged stimulation on spinal excitability. These different effects may be utilized for optimal rehabilitation in people with SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Massey
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Aspire Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology, UCL Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London, UK
| | - Danielle Konig
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pratham Upadhyay
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zehra Beril Evcil
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rebbekha Melin
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Memoona Fatima
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ricci Hannah
- Centre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Lynsey Duffell
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Aspire Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology, UCL Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London, UK
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Mukhametova E, Militskova A, Biktimirov A, Kharin N, Semenova E, Sachenkov O, Baltina T, Lavrov I. Consecutive Transcutaneous and Epidural Spinal Cord Neuromodulation to Modify Clinical Complete Paralysis-the Proof of Concept. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes 2024; 8:1-16. [PMID: 38186923 PMCID: PMC10770429 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the effect of transcutaneous (tSCS) and epidural electrical spinal cord stimulation (EES) in facilitating volitional movements, balance, and nonmotor functions, in this observational study, tSCS and EES were consecutively tested in 2 participants with motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants and Methods Two participants (a 48-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man), both classified as motor complete spinal injury, were enrolled in the study. Both participants went through a unified protocol, such as an initial electrophysiological assessment of neural connectivity, consecutive tSCS and EES combined with 8 wks of motor training with electromyography (EMG) and kinematic evaluation. The study was conducted from May 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021. Results In both participants, tSCS reported a minimal improvement in voluntary movements still essential to start tSCS-enabled rehabilitation. Compared with tSCS, following EES showed immediate improvement in voluntary movements, whereas tSCS was more effective in improving balance and posture. Continuous improvement in nonmotor functions was found during tSCS-enabled and then during EES-enabled motor training. Conclusion Results report a significant difference in the effect of tSCS and EES on the recovery of neurologic functions and support consecutive tSCS and EES applications as a potential therapy for SCI. The proposed approach may help in selecting patients with SCI responsive to neuromodulation. It would also help initiate neuromodulation and rehabilitation therapy early, particularly for motor complete SCI with minimal effect from conventional rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Mukhametova
- Department of Neurology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Kazan Federal University, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan, Russia
- Laboratory of Movement Physiology, Federal State Institution of Science Institute of Physiology, IP Pavlov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alena Militskova
- Department of Neurology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Kazan Federal University, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan, Russia
- Laboratory of Movement Physiology, Federal State Institution of Science Institute of Physiology, IP Pavlov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Artur Biktimirov
- Center of Neurotechnologies, Virtual, and Augmented Reality Technologies, Department of Neurosurgery, Far Eastern Federal University, Russia
| | - Nikita Kharin
- Laboratory of Shell Mechanics, N.I. Lobachevsky Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Elena Semenova
- Laboratory of Shell Mechanics, N.I. Lobachevsky Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Oskar Sachenkov
- Laboratory of Shell Mechanics, N.I. Lobachevsky Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Tatiana Baltina
- Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Kazan Federal University, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan, Russia
| | - Igor Lavrov
- Department of Neurology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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Tran K, Steele A, Crossnoe R, Martin C, Sayenko DG. Multi-site lumbar transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation: When less is more. Neurosci Lett 2024; 820:137579. [PMID: 38096973 PMCID: PMC10872491 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcutaneous spinal stimulation (TSS) has become a valuable tool for facilitating rehabilitation in individuals with neurological deficits. A significant constraint arises from the need for precise knowledge of stimulation locations to effectively apply TSS for targeted functional enhancement. METHODS In this study, we investigate whether single-site or simultaneous multi-site stimulation over the lumbar spinal cord is advantageous for recruitment of specific motor pools projecting to lower limb muscles and generates higher leg extensor forces in neurologically intact individuals. Tests were performed in a supine position. TSS was delivered at T10-T11, T11-T12, T12-L1, and L1-L2 intervertebral spaces individually, then through all four locations simultaneously. The peak-to-peak amplitude of spinally evoked motor potentials and the forces generated by lower limb muscles were compared at the common motor threshold intensity level across all stimulation conditions. RESULTS Recruitment of motor pools projecting to proximal and distal lower limb muscles followed their topographical rostro-caudal arrangement along the lumbosacral enlargement. Single-site stimulation, apart from the T10-T11 location, resulted in larger responses in both proximal and distal muscles while also generating higher knee-extension and plantarflexion forces when compared to multi-site stimulation. CONCLUSIONS Both motor response and force generation were reduced when using multi-site TSS when compared to single-site stimulation. This demonstrates that the segmental effects of TSS are important to consider when performing multi-site TSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khue Tran
- School of Engineering Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alexander Steele
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Remington Crossnoe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Catherine Martin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dimitry G Sayenko
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
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10
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Sachdeva R, Girshin K, Shirkhani Y, Gad P. Beyond pediatrics: noninvasive spinal neuromodulation improves motor function in an adult with cerebral palsy. Bioelectron Med 2024; 10:1. [PMID: 38167312 PMCID: PMC10762938 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-023-00133-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Regaining motor function in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) has been predominantly studied in children, resulting in an underrepresentation of adults in research efforts. We tested the efficacy of noninvasive spinal neuromodulation with neurorehabilitation (Spinal Cord Innovation in Pediatrics; SCiP™ therapy). A 60-year-old CP participant underwent 8 weeks of SCiP™ therapy, resulting in significant motor recovery measured by 14.2-points increase in gross motor function measure (GMFM-88) score, ~ three times the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) of 5-points. This represented gains in kneeling, sitting, and walking functions. The improvement in GMFM-88 score was maintained above the MCID at the follow up visit (10.3 points above the baseline), twenty weeks following the last therapy session, indicating a persistent effect of the therapy. Our preliminary findings support the therapeutic promise of SCiP™ therapy for enhancing motor function in CP adults. Broader investigations are needed to establish its wider applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Sachdeva
- SpineX Inc, Los Angeles, CA, 91324, USA.
- Department of Medicine, International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1M9, Canada.
| | - Kristin Girshin
- SpineX Inc, Los Angeles, CA, 91324, USA
- GirshinPT Rancho, Cucamunga, CA, 91701, USA
| | | | - Parag Gad
- SpineX Inc, Los Angeles, CA, 91324, USA
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11
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Taccola G, Kissane R, Culaclii S, Apicella R, Liu W, Gad P, Ichiyama RM, Chakrabarty S, Edgerton VR. Dynamic electrical stimulation enhances the recruitment of spinal interneurons by corticospinal input. Exp Neurol 2024; 371:114589. [PMID: 37907125 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Highly varying patterns of electrostimulation (Dynamic Stimulation, DS) delivered to the dorsal cord through an epidural array with 18 independent electrodes transiently facilitate corticospinal motor responses, even after spinal injury. To partly unravel how corticospinal input are affected by DS, we introduced a corticospinal platform that allows selective cortical stimulation during the multisite acquisition of cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) and the simultaneous supply of DS. Firstly, the epidural interface was validated by the acquisition of the classical multisite distribution of CDPs and their input-output profile elicited by pulses delivered to peripheral nerves. Apart from increased EMGs, DS selectively increased excitability of the spinal interneurons that first process corticospinal input, without changing the magnitude of commands descending from the motor cortex, suggesting a novel correlation between muscle recruitment and components of cortically-evoked CDPs. Finally, DS increases excitability of post-synaptic spinal interneurons at the stimulation site and their responsiveness to any residual supraspinal control, thus supporting the use of electrical neuromodulation whenever the motor output is jeopardized by a weak volitional input, due to a partial disconnection from supraspinal structures and/or neuronal brain dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Taccola
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Roger Kissane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Department of Musculoskeletal & Ageing Science, University of Liverpool, The William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Stanislav Culaclii
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rosamaria Apicella
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy
| | - Wentai Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Parag Gad
- SpineX Inc, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USA
| | - Ronaldo M Ichiyama
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Samit Chakrabarty
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Research Institute, Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA 90242, USA; University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033; USA; Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Badalona 08916, Spain
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12
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Zou S, Zheng Y, Jiang X, Lan YL, Chen Z, Xu C. Shed a New Light on Spinal Cord Injury-induced Permanent Paralysis with the Brain-spine Interface. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1898-1900. [PMID: 37768518 PMCID: PMC10661654 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01127-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Zou
- Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Yang Zheng
- Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
- Department of Neurology, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310060, China
| | - Xuhong Jiang
- Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
- Department of Neurology, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310060, China
| | - Yu-Long Lan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
| | - Cenglin Xu
- Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
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13
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Malloy DC, Côté MP. Multi-session transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation prevents chloridehomeostasis imbalance and the development of spasticity after spinal cordinjury in rat. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.24.563419. [PMID: 37961233 PMCID: PMC10634766 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.24.563419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Spasticity is a complex and multidimensional disorder that impacts nearly 75% of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and currently lacks adequate treatment options. This sensorimotor condition is burdensome as hyperexcitability of reflex pathways result in exacerbated reflex responses, co-contractions of antagonistic muscles, and involuntary movements. Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has become a popular tool in the human SCI research field. The likeliness for this intervention to be successful as a noninvasive anti-spastic therapy after SCI is suggested by a mild and transitory improvement in spastic symptoms following a single stimulation session, but it remains to be determined if repeated tSCS over the course of weeks can produce more profound effects. Despite its popularity, the neuroplasticity induced by tSCS also remains widely unexplored, particularly due to the lack of suitable animal models to investigate this intervention. Thus, the basis of this work was to use tSCS over multiple sessions (multi-session tSCS) in a rat model to target spasticity after SCI and identify the long-term physiological improvements and anatomical neuroplasticity occurring in the spinal cord. Here, we show that multi-session tSCS in rats with an incomplete (severe T9 contusion) SCI (1) decreases hyperreflexia, (2) increases the low frequency-dependent modulation of the H-reflex, (3) prevents potassium-chloride cotransporter isoform 2 (KCC2) membrane downregulation in lumbar motoneurons, and (4) generally augments motor output, i.e., EMG amplitude in response to single pulses of tSCS, particularly in extensor muscles. Together, this work displays that multi-session tSCS can target and diminish spasticity after SCI as an alternative to pharmacological interventions and begins to highlight the underlying neuroplasticity contributing to its success in improving functional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon C. Malloy
- Marion Murray Spinal Cord Research Center, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Marie-Pascale Côté
- Marion Murray Spinal Cord Research Center, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
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14
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Kumru H, García-Alén L, Ros-Alsina A, Albu S, Valles M, Vidal J. Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Improves Respiratory Muscle Strength and Function in Subjects with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Original Research. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2121. [PMID: 37626619 PMCID: PMC10452666 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Respiratory muscle weakness is common following cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) promotes the motor recovery of the upper and lower limbs. tSCS improved breathing and coughing abilities in one subject with tetraplegia. Objective: We therefore hypothesized that tSCS applied at the cervical and thoracic levels could improve respiratory function in cSCI subjects; (2) Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. Eleven cSCI subjects received inspiratory muscle training (IMT) alone. Eleven cSCI subjects received tSCS combined with IMT (six of these subjects underwent IMT alone first and then they were given the opportunity to receive tSCS + IMT). The subjects evaluated their sensation of breathlessness/dyspnea and hypophonia compared to pre-SCI using a numerical rating scale. The thoracic muscle strength was assessed by maximum inspiratory (MIP), expiratory pressure (MEP), and spirometric measures. All assessments were conducted at baseline and after the last session. tSCS was applied at C3-4 and Th9-10 at a frequency of 30 Hz for 30 min on 5 consecutive days; (3) Results: Following tSCS + IMT, the subjects reported a significant improvement in breathlessness/dyspnea and hypophonia (p < 0.05). There was also a significant improvement in MIP, MEP, and forced vital capacity (p < 0.05). Following IMT alone, there were no significant changes in any measurement; (4) Conclusions: Current evidence supports the potential of tSCS as an adjunctive therapy to accelerate and enhance the rehabilitation process for respiratory impairments following SCI. However, further research is needed to validate these results and establish the long-term benefits of tSCS in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Kumru
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació Adscrit a la (UAB), 08916 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.-A.); (A.R.-A.); (S.A.); (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Loreto García-Alén
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació Adscrit a la (UAB), 08916 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.-A.); (A.R.-A.); (S.A.); (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Aina Ros-Alsina
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació Adscrit a la (UAB), 08916 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.-A.); (A.R.-A.); (S.A.); (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Sergiu Albu
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació Adscrit a la (UAB), 08916 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.-A.); (A.R.-A.); (S.A.); (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Valles
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació Adscrit a la (UAB), 08916 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.-A.); (A.R.-A.); (S.A.); (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Vidal
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació Adscrit a la (UAB), 08916 Barcelona, Spain; (L.G.-A.); (A.R.-A.); (S.A.); (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Sachdeva R, Girshin K, Shirkhani Y, Gad P, Edgerton VR. Combining spinal neuromodulation and activity based neurorehabilitation therapy improves sensorimotor function in cerebral palsy. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2023; 4:1216281. [PMID: 37565185 PMCID: PMC10409987 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2023.1216281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Motor dysfunction in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) such as the inability to initiate voluntary movements, walking with compensatory movement patterns, and debilitating spasticity is due to the aberrant neural connectivity between the brain and spinal cord. We tested the efficacy of noninvasive spinal cord neuromodulation (SCiP™, SpineX Inc.) with activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy (ABNT) in improving the sensorimotor function in six children with CP. Children received 8 weeks of either SCiP™ or sham therapy with ABNT (n = 3 per group). At the end of 8 weeks, all participants received 8 weeks of SCiP™ therapy with ABNT. Follow up assessments were done at week 26 (10 weeks after the last therapy session). Sensorimotor function was measured by the Gross Motor Function Measure 88 (GMFM88) test. We observed minimal change in sham group (mean 6% improvement), however, eight weeks of SCiP™ therapy with ABNT resulted in statistically and clinically relevant improvement in GMFM88 scores (mean 23% increase from baseline). We also observed reduced scores on the modified Ashworth scale only with SCiP™ therapy (-11% vs. +5.53% with sham). Similar improvements were observed in sham group but only after the cross over to SCiP™ therapy group at the end of the first eight weeks. Finally, sixteen weeks of SCiP™ therapy with ABNT resulted in further improvement of GMFM88 score. The improvement in GMFM88 scores were maintained at week 26 (10 weeks after the end of therapy), suggesting a sustained effect of SCiP™ therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Sachdeva
- SpineX Inc., Los Angeles, CA, United States
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kristin Girshin
- SpineX Inc., Los Angeles, CA, United States
- GirshinPT, Rancho Cucamunga, CA, United States
| | | | - Parag Gad
- SpineX Inc., Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - V. Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, United States
- USC Neurorestoration Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari Adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Ovechkin A, Moshonkina T, Shandybina N, Lyakhovetskii V, Gorodnichev R, Moiseev S, Siu R, Gerasimenko Y. Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Facilitates Respiratory Functional Performance in Patients with Post-Acute COVID-19. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1563. [PMID: 37511940 PMCID: PMC10381407 DOI: 10.3390/life13071563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing number of studies have reported Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) related to both respiratory and central nervous system dysfunctions. This study evaluates the neuromodulatory effects of spinal cord transcutaneous stimulation (scTS) on the respiratory functional state in healthy controls and patients with post-COVID-19 respiratory deficits as a step toward the development of a rehabilitation strategy for these patients. METHODS In this before-after, interventional, case-controlled clinical study, ten individuals with post-acute COVID-19 respiratory deficits and eight healthy controls received a single twenty-minute-long session of modulated monophasic scTS delivered over the T5 and T10 spinal cord segments. Forced vital capacity (FVC), peak forced inspiratory flow (PIF), peak expiratory flow (PEF), time-to-peak of inspiratory flow (tPIF), and time-to-peak of expiratory flow (tPEF), as indirect measures of spinal motor network activity, were assessed before and after the intervention. RESULTS In the COVID-19 group, the scTS intervention led to significantly increased PIF (p = 0.040) and PEF (p = 0.049) in association with significantly decreased tPIF (p = 0.035) and tPEF (p = 0.013). In the control group, the exposure to scTS also resulted in significantly increased PIF (p = 0.010) and significantly decreased tPIF (p = 0.031). Unlike the results in the COVID-19 group, the control group had significantly decreased PEF (p = 0.028) associated with significantly increased tPEF (p = 0.036). There were no changes for FVC after scTS in both groups (p = 0.67 and p = 0.503). CONCLUSIONS In post-COVID-19 patients, scTS facilitates excitation of both inspiratory and expiratory spinal neural networks leading to an immediate improvement of respiratory functional performance. This neuromodulation approach could be utilized in rehabilitation programs for patients with COVID-19 respiratory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Ovechkin
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Tatiana Moshonkina
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Shandybina
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vsevolod Lyakhovetskii
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ruslan Gorodnichev
- Velikie Luki State Academy of Physical Education and Sports, 182100 Velikie Luki, Russia
| | - Sergey Moiseev
- Velikie Luki State Academy of Physical Education and Sports, 182100 Velikie Luki, Russia
| | - Ricardo Siu
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Yury Gerasimenko
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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17
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Taccola G, Kissane R, Culaclii S, Apicella R, Liu W, Gad P, Ichiyama RM, Chakrabarty S, Edgerton VR. Spinal facilitation of descending motor input. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.30.547229. [PMID: 37461548 PMCID: PMC10349979 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.30.547229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Highly varying patterns of electrostimulation (Dynamic Stimulation, DS) delivered to the dorsal cord through an epidural array with 18 independent electrodes transiently facilitate corticospinal motor responses, even after spinal injury. To partly unravel how corticospinal input are affected by DS, we introduced a corticospinal platform that allows selective cortical stimulation during the multisite acquisition of cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) and the simultaneous supply of DS. Firstly, the epidural interface was validated by the acquisition of the classical multisite distribution of CDPs on the dorsal cord and their input-output profile elicited by pulses delivered to peripheral nerves. Apart from increased EMGs, DS selectively increased excitability of the spinal interneurons that first process corticospinal input, without changing the magnitude of commands descending from the motor cortex, suggesting a novel correlation between muscle recruitment and components of cortically-evoked CDPs. Finally, DS increases excitability of post-synaptic spinal interneurons at the stimulation site and their responsiveness to any residual supraspinal control, thus supporting the use of electrical neuromodulation whenever the motor output is jeopardized by a weak volitional input, due to a partial disconnection from supraspinal structures and/or neuronal brain dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Taccola
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Roger Kissane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- Department of Musculoskeletal & Ageing Science, University of Liverpool, The William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Stanislav Culaclii
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rosamaria Apicella
- Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy
| | - Wentai Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- UCLA California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Parag Gad
- Rancho Research Institute, Downy, CA 90242, USA; Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
- University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033; USA
| | - Ronaldo M. Ichiyama
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Samit Chakrabarty
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - V. Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Research Institute, Downy, CA 90242, USA; Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
- University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033; USA
- Institut Guttmann. Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain
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18
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Zhang F, Carnahan J, Ravi M, Bheemreddy A, Kirshblum S, Forrest GF. Combining Spinal Cord Transcutaneous Stimulation with Activity-based Training to Improve Upper Extremity Function Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury . ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023; 2023:1-4. [PMID: 38082735 DOI: 10.1109/embc40787.2023.10340976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Recovery of upper extremity (UE) function is the top priority following cervical spinal cord injury (SCI); even partial function restoration would greatly improve the quality of their life and thus remains an important goal in SCI rehabilitation. Current clinical therapies focus on promoting neuroplasticity by performing task-specific activities with high intensity and high repetition. Repetitive training, paired with functional electrical, somatosensory, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, has been evaluated to augment functional recovery in chronic SCI, but improvements were modest. Evidence has demonstrated that the non-invasive spinal cord transcutaneous stimulation (scTS) can increase the excitability of spinal circuits and facilitate the weak or silent descending drive for restoration of sensorimotor function. Currently, we are conducting a multicenter randomized clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and potential mechanisms of scTS combined with activity-based training (ABT) to facilitate UE function recovery in individuals with tetraplegia. The preliminary outcomes from our four individuals with complete and incomplete injury demonstrated that the combination of scTS and ABT led to immediate and sustained (for up to 1-month follow-up) UE function recovery. Notably, one individual with motor complete injury showed a 5-fold improvement in UE function quantified by the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension following scTS+ABT, as compared to receiving ABT alone. These functional gains were also reflected in the increased spinal excitability by measuring the scTS-evoked muscle response of UE motor pools, suggesting physiological evidence of reorganization of the non-functional, but surviving spinal networks after spinal transcutaneous stimulation.Clinical Relevance-This study offered the preliminary efficacy of combining scTS and ABT to facilitate UE function recovery following cervical SCI.
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Wai G, Zdunowski S, Zhong H, Nielson JL, Ferguson AR, Strand SC, Moseanko R, Hawbecker S, Nout-Lomas YS, Rosenzweig ES, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC, Tuszynski MH, Roy RR, Edgerton VR. Emergence of functionally aberrant and subsequent reduction of neuromuscular connectivity and improved motor performance after cervical spinal cord injury in Rhesus. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2023; 4:1205456. [PMID: 37378049 PMCID: PMC10291623 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2023.1205456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The paralysis that occurs after a spinal cord injury, particularly during the early stages of post-lesion recovery (∼6 weeks), appears to be attributable to the inability to activate motor pools well beyond their motor threshold. In the later stages of recovery, however, the inability to perform a motor task effectively can be attributed to abnormal activation patterns among motor pools, resulting in poor coordination. Method We have tested this hypothesis on four adult male Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), ages 6-10 years, by recording the EMG activity levels and patterns of multiple proximal and distal muscles controlling the upper limb of the Rhesus when performing three tasks requiring different levels of skill before and up to 24 weeks after a lateral hemisection at C7. During the recovery period the animals were provided routine daily care, including access to a large exercise cage (5' × 7' × 10') and tested every 3-4 weeks for each of the three motor tasks. Results At approximately 6-8 weeks the animals were able to begin to step on a treadmill, perform a spring-loaded task with the upper limb, and reaching, grasping, and eating a grape placed on a vertical stick. The predominant changes that occurred, beginning at ∼6-8 weeks of the recovery of these tasks was an elevated level of activation of most motor pools well beyond the pre-lesion level. Discussion As the chronic phase progressed there was a slight reduction in the EMG burst amplitudes of some muscles and less incidence of co-contraction of agonists and antagonists, probably contributing to an improved ability to selectively activate motor pools in a more effective temporal pattern. Relative to pre-lesion, however, the EMG patterns even at the initial stages of recovery of successfully performing the different motor tasks, the level of activity of most muscle remained higher. Perhaps the most important concept that emerges from these data is the large combinations of adaptive strategies in the relative level of recruitment and the timing of the peak levels of activation of different motor pools can progressively provide different stages to regain a motor skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Wai
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sharon Zdunowski
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hui Zhong
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, United States
| | - Jessica L Nielson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Institute for Health Informatics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Adam R Ferguson
- Brain and Spinal Injury Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sarah C Strand
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Rod Moseanko
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Stephanie Hawbecker
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Yvette S Nout-Lomas
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | | | - Michael S Beattie
- Brain and Spinal Injury Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jacqueline C Bresnahan
- Brain and Spinal Injury Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Mark H Tuszynski
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Roland R Roy
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, United States
- Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitacio, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
- Neurorestoration Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Capozio A, Ichiyama R, Astill SL. The acute effects of motor imagery and cervical transcutaneous electrical stimulation on manual dexterity and neural excitability. Neuropsychologia 2023:108613. [PMID: 37285931 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TCES) of the spinal cord induces changes in spinal excitability. Motor imagery (MI) elicits plasticity in the motor cortex. It has been suggested that plasticity occurring in both cortical and spinal circuits might underlie the improvements in performance observed when training is combined with stimulation. We investigated the acute effects of cervical TCES and MI delivered in isolation or combined on corticospinal excitability, spinal excitability and manual performance. Participants (N = 17) completed three sessions during which they engaged in 20 min of: 1) MI, listening to an audio recording instructing to complete the purdue pegboard test (PPT) of manual performance; 2) TCES at the spinal level of C5-C6; 3) MI + TCES, listening to the MI script while receiving TCES. Before and after each condition, we measured corticospinal excitability via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at 100% and 120% motor threshold (MT), spinal excitability via single-pulse TCES and manual performance with the PPT. Manual performance was not improved by MI, TCES or MI + TCES. Corticospinal excitability assessed at 100% MT intensity increased in hand and forearm muscles after MI and MI + TCES, but not after just TCES. Conversely, corticospinal excitability assessed at 120% MT intensity was not affected by any of the conditions. The effects on spinal excitability depended on the recorded muscle: it increased after all conditions in biceps brachii (BB) and flexor carpi radialis (FCR); did not change after any conditions in the abductor pollicis brevis (APB); increased after TCES and MI + TCES, but not after just MI in the extensor carpi radialis (ECR). These findings suggest that MI and TCES increase the excitability of the central nervous system through different but complementary mechanisms, inducing changes in the excitability of spinal and cortical circuits. MI and TCES can be used in combination to modulate spinal/cortical excitability, an approach particularly relevant for people with limited residual dexterity who cannot engage in motor practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Capozio
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, United Kingdom.
| | - Ronaldo Ichiyama
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah L Astill
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
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Finn HT, Bye EA, Elphick TG, Boswell-Ruys CL, Gandevia SC, Butler JE, Héroux ME. Transcutaneous spinal stimulation in people with and without spinal cord injury: Effect of electrode placement and trains of stimulation on threshold intensity. Physiol Rep 2023; 11:e15692. [PMID: 37269156 PMCID: PMC10238786 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSS) is purported to improve motor function in people after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, several methodology aspects are yet to be explored. We investigated whether stimulation configuration affected the intensity needed to elicit spinally evoked motor responses (sEMR) in four lower limb muscles bilaterally. Also, since stimulation intensity for therapeutic TSS (i.e., trains of stimulation, typically delivered at 15-50 Hz) is sometimes based on the single-pulse threshold intensity, we compared these two stimulation types. In non-SCI participants (n = 9) and participants with a SCI (n = 9), three different electrode configurations (cathode-anode); L1-midline (below the umbilicus), T11-midline and L1-ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine; non-SCI only) were compared for the sEMR threshold intensity using single pulses or trains of stimulation which were recorded in the vastus medialis, medial hamstring, tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius muscles. In non-SCI participants, the L1-midline configuration showed lower sEMR thresholds compared to T11-midline (p = 0.002) and L1-ASIS (p < 0.001). There was no difference between T11-midline and L1-midline for participants with SCI (p = 0.245). Spinally evoked motor response thresholds were ~13% lower during trains of stimulation compared to single pulses in non-SCI participants (p < 0.001), but not in participants with SCI (p = 0.101). With trains of stimulation, threshold intensities were slightly lower and the incidence of sEMR was considerably lower. Overall, stimulation threshold intensities were generally lower with the L1-midline electrode configuration and is therefore preferred. While single-pulse threshold intensities may overestimate threshold intensities for therapeutic TSS, tolerance to trains of stimulation will be the limiting factor in most cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison T Finn
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Bye
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
- Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas G Elphick
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Claire L Boswell-Ruys
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
- Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Simon C Gandevia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Jane E Butler
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Martin E Héroux
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
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Thorogood NP, Waheed Z, Chernesky J, Burkhart I, Smith J, Sweeney S, Wudlick R, Douglas S, Wang D, Noonan VK. Spinal Cord Injury Community Personal Opinions and Perspectives on Spinal Cord Stimulation. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil 2023; 29:1-11. [PMID: 37235197 PMCID: PMC10208255 DOI: 10.46292/sci22-00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Background Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) clinical trials are evaluating its efficacy and safety for motor, sensory, and autonomic recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI). The perspectives of people living with SCI are not well known and can inform the planning, delivery, and translation of SCS. Objectives To obtain input from people living with SCI on the top priorities for recovery, expected meaningful benefits, risk tolerance, clinical trial design, and overall interest in SCS. Methods Data were collected anonymously from an online survey between February and May 2020. Results A total of 223 respondents living with SCI completed the survey. The majority of respondents identified their gender as male (64%), were 10+ years post SCI (63%), and had a mean age of 50.8 years. Most individuals had a traumatic SCI (81%), and 45% classified themselves as having tetraplegia. Priorities for improved outcome for those with complete or incomplete tetraplegia included fine motor skills and upper body function, whereas priorities for complete or incomplete paraplegia included standing and walking, and bowel function. The meaningful benefits that are important to achieve are bowel and bladder care, less reliance on caregivers, and maintaining physical health. Perceived potential risks include further loss of function, neuropathic pain, and complications. Barriers to participation in clinical trials include inability to relocate, out-of-pocket expenses, and awareness of therapy. Respondents were more interested in transcutaneous SCS than epidural SCS (80% and 61%, respectively). Conclusion SCS clinical trial design, participant recruitment, and translation of the technology can be improved by better reflecting the priorities and preferences of those living with SCI identified from this study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zeina Waheed
- Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John Chernesky
- Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ian Burkhart
- North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium, Niagara Falls, New York
| | - Judith Smith
- North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium, Niagara Falls, New York
| | - Shannon Sweeney
- North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium, Niagara Falls, New York
| | - Rob Wudlick
- North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium, Niagara Falls, New York
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Sam Douglas
- Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Di Wang
- Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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García-Alén L, Kumru H, Castillo-Escario Y, Benito-Penalva J, Medina-Casanovas J, Gerasimenko YP, Edgerton VR, García-Alías G, Vidal J. Transcutaneous Cervical Spinal Cord Stimulation Combined with Robotic Exoskeleton Rehabilitation for the Upper Limbs in Subjects with Cervical SCI: Clinical Trial. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020589. [PMID: 36831125 PMCID: PMC9953486 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Restoring arm and hand function is a priority for individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) for independence and quality of life. Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) promotes the upper extremity (UE) motor function when applied at the cervical region. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of cervical tSCS, combined with an exoskeleton, on motor strength and functionality of UE in subjects with cSCI. (2) Methods: twenty-two subjects participated in the randomized mix of parallel-group and crossover clinical trial, consisting of an intervention group (n = 15; tSCS exoskeleton) and a control group (n = 14; exoskeleton). The assessment was carried out at baseline, after the last session, and two weeks after the last session. We assessed graded redefined assessment of strength, sensibility, and prehension (GRASSP), box and block test (BBT), spinal cord independence measure III (SCIM-III), maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), ASIA impairment scale (AIS), and WhoQol-Bref; (3) Results: GRASSP, BBT, SCIM III, cylindrical grip force and AIS motor score showed significant improvement in both groups (p ≤ 0.05), however, it was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group for GRASSP strength, and GRASSP prehension ability (p ≤ 0.05); (4) Conclusion: our findings show potential advantages of the combination of cervical tSCS with an exoskeleton to optimize the outcome for UE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto García-Alén
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorrehabilitació Adscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hatice Kumru
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorrehabilitació Adscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciéncies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Yolanda Castillo-Escario
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Automatic Control, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Benito-Penalva
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorrehabilitació Adscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciéncies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Josep Medina-Casanovas
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorrehabilitació Adscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciéncies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Yury P. Gerasimenko
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Victor Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Research Institute, Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA 90242, USA
| | - Guillermo García-Alías
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorrehabilitació Adscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia & Insititute of Neuroscience, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Vidal
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorrehabilitació Adscrit a la UAB, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciéncies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, 08916 Badalona, Spain
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First Use of Non-Invasive Spinal Cord Stimulation in Motor Rehabilitation of Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020449. [PMID: 36836806 PMCID: PMC9966619 DOI: 10.3390/life13020449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is characterized by the degeneration of spinal alpha motorneurons. Nusinersen demonstrated good efficacy in the early disease phases. The feasibility of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) in motor rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury has been demonstrated. We hypothesize that tSCS may activate intact and restored by nusinersen motorneurons and slow down the decline in motor activity, and may contribute to the development of motor skills in children with SMA. A case series is presented. Five children (6-13 years old) with SMA type II or III participated in the study. They were treated with nusinersen for ~2 years. Application of tSCS was carried out during physical therapy for 30-40 min per day in the course of 10-14 days. Outcome measures were goniometry of joints with contracture, forced vital capacity (FVC), RULM and HFMSE scales. The participants tolerated the stimulation well. The reduction of the contracture was ≥5 deg. RULM and HFMSE increased by ~1-2 points. Predicted FVC increased by 1-7% in three participants. Each participant expanded their range of active movements and/or learned new motor skills. Spinal cord stimulation may be an effective rehabilitation method in patients treated with nusinersen. More research is needed.
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Neuromodulation with transcutaneous spinal stimulation reveals different groups of motor profiles during robot-guided stepping in humans with incomplete spinal cord injury. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:365-382. [PMID: 36534141 PMCID: PMC10278039 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06521-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Neuromodulation via spinal stimulation has been investigated for improving motor function and reducing spasticity after spinal cord injury (SCI) in humans. Despite the reported heterogeneity of outcomes, few investigations have attempted to discern commonalities among individual responses to neuromodulation, especially the impact of stimulation frequencies. Here, we examined how exposure to continuous lumbosacral transcutaneous spinal stimulation (TSS) across a range of frequencies affects robotic torques and EMG patterns during stepping in a robotic gait orthosis on a motorized treadmill. We studied nine chronic motor-incomplete SCI individuals (8/1 AIS-C/D, 8 men) during robot-guided stepping with body-weight support without and with TSS applied at random frequencies between 1 and up to 100 Hz at a constant, individually selected stimulation intensity below the common motor threshold for posterior root reflexes. The hip and knee robotic torques needed to maintain the predefined stepping trajectory and EMG in eight bilateral leg muscles were recorded. We calculated the standardized mean difference between the stimulation conditions grouped into frequency bins and the no stimulation condition to determine changes in the normalized torques and the average EMG envelopes. We found heterogeneous changes in robotic torques across individuals. Agglomerative clustering of robotic torques identified four groups wherein the patterns of changes differed in magnitude and direction depending mainly on the stimulation frequency and stance/swing phase. On one end of the spectrum, the changes in robotic torques were greater with increasing stimulation frequencies (four participants), which coincided with a decrease in EMG, mainly due to the reduction of clonogenic motor output in the lower leg muscles. On the other end, we found an inverted u-shape change in torque over the mid-frequency range along with an increase in EMG, reflecting the augmentation of gait-related physiological (two participants) or pathophysiological (one participant) output. We conclude that TSS during robot-guided stepping reveals different frequency-dependent motor profiles among individuals with chronic motor incomplete SCI. This suggests the need for a better understanding and characterization of motor control profiles in SCI when applying TSS as a therapeutic intervention for improving gait.
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Rehman MU, Sneed D, Sutor TW, Hoenig H, Gorgey AS. Optimization of Transspinal Stimulation Applications for Motor Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury: Scoping Review. J Clin Med 2023; 12:854. [PMID: 36769503 PMCID: PMC9917510 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12030854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition that can significantly affect an individual's life, causing paralysis, autonomic dysreflexia, and chronic pain. Transspinal stimulation (TSS) is a non-invasive form of neuromodulation that activates the underlying neural circuitries of the spinal cord. Application of TSS can be performed through multiple stimulation protocols, which may vary in the electrodes' size or position as well as stimulation parameters, and which may influence the response of motor functions to the stimulation. Due to the novelty of TSS, it is beneficial to summarize the available evidence to identify the range of parameters that may provide the best outcomes for motor response. The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies examining the effects of TSS on limb motor function. A literature search yielded 34 studies for analysis, in which electrode placement and stimulation parameters varied considerably. The stimulation protocols from each study and their impact on limb motor function were summarized. Electrode placement was variable based on the targeted limb. Studies for the upper limbs targeted the cervical enlargement with anatomical placement of the cathode over the cervical vertebral region. In lower-limb studies, the cathode(s) were placed over the thoracic and lumbar vertebral regions, to target the lumbar enlargement. The effects of carrier frequency were inconclusive across the studies. Multisite cathodal placements yielded favorable motor response results compared to single-site placement. This review briefly summarized the current mechanistic evidence of the effect of TSS on motor response after SCI. Our findings indicate that optimization of stimulation parameters will require future randomized controlled studies to independently assess the effects of different stimulation parameters under controlled circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Uzair Rehman
- Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Dustin Sneed
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Tommy W. Sutor
- Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, USA
| | - Helen Hoenig
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Geriatrics Division, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ashraf S. Gorgey
- Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
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Dalrymple AN, Hooper CA, Kuriakose MG, Capogrosso M, Weber DJ. Using a high-frequency carrier does not improve comfort of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. J Neural Eng 2023; 20. [PMID: 36595241 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/acabe8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Spinal cord neuromodulation has gained much attention for demonstrating improved motor recovery in people with spinal cord injury, motivating the development of clinically applicable technologies. Among them, transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is attractive because of its non-invasive profile. Many tSCS studies employ a high-frequency (10 kHz) carrier, which has been reported to reduce stimulation discomfort. However, these claims have come under scrutiny in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine whether using a high-frequency carrier for tSCS is more comfortable at therapeutic amplitudes, which evoke posterior root-muscle (PRM) reflexes.Approach.In 16 neurologically intact participants, tSCS was delivered using a 1 ms long monophasic pulse with and without a high-frequency carrier. Stimulation amplitude and pulse duration were varied and PRM reflexes were recorded from the soleus, gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior muscles. Participants rated their discomfort during stimulation from 0 to 10 at PRM reflex threshold.Main Results.At PRM reflex threshold, the addition of a high-frequency carrier (0.87 ± 0.2) was equally comfortable as conventional stimulation (1.03 ± 0.18) but required approximately double the charge to evoke the PRM reflex (conventional: 32.4 ± 9.2µC; high-frequency carrier: 62.5 ± 11.1µC). Strength-duration curves for tSCS with a high-frequency carrier had a rheobase that was 4.8× greater and a chronaxie that was 5.7× narrower than the conventional monophasic pulse, indicating that the addition of a high-frequency carrier makes stimulation less efficient in recruiting neural activity in spinal roots.Significance.Using a high-frequency carrier for tSCS is equally as comfortable and less efficient as conventional stimulation at amplitudes required to stimulate spinal dorsal roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Dalrymple
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,NeuroMechatronics Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Charli Ann Hooper
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,NeuroMechatronics Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Minna G Kuriakose
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Marco Capogrosso
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Douglas J Weber
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,NeuroMechatronics Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.,Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
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Lyakhovetskii V, Shkorbatova P, Gorskii O, Musienko P. Forward Stepping Evoked by Transvertebral Stimulation in the Decerebrate Cat. Neuromodulation 2022:S1094-7159(22)01373-3. [PMID: 36567242 PMCID: PMC10569082 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Implantation of stimulating electrodes into the basement of the vertebral spinous process allows the electrodes to be quickly and stably fixed relative to the spinal cord. Using this approach, we have previously shown the selectivity of rat muscle activation during transvertebral stimulation (TS). In this work, we investigated the TS to induce forward stepping of the cat's hindlimbs in comparison with epidural stimulation (ES). MATERIALS AND METHODS TS was performed with an electrode placed in the VL3-VL6 vertebrae in five decerebrated cats. ES was performed on the same cats in L5-L7 segments. Kinematic parameters of stepping were recorded in addition to electromyographic activity of musculus (m.) iliopsoas (IP), m. tibialis anterior (TA), and m. gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) of both hindlimbs. RESULTS With VL3-VL4 TS, all five animals were capable of bipedal forward stepping, whereas VL5 and VL6 TS led to the forward stepping in 3 of 5 and 1 of 5 animals, respectively. Well-coordinated muscle activity led to a high level of intra- and interlimb coordination. Kinematic parameters of TS-induced stepping were similar to those obtained with ES. The TS of the VL3 vertebra causes the frequency lock with the integer multiple of the stimulation frequency. Similarly to the rat model, TS-evoked muscle responses were site specific. They were minimal during VL3 TS and were maximal during VL4-VL5 TS (IP) and VL5-VL6 TS (TA, GL). CONCLUSIONS The obtained results support hypotheses about the location of the central pattern generators in the upper lumbar spinal segments. The proposed approach of electrode placement is surgically easier to perform than is ES. This approach is useful for studying site-specific neuromodulation of the spinal sensorimotor networks and for investigating new strategies of locomotor recovery in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Polina Shkorbatova
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia; Department of Neurobiology, Sirius University, Sirius, Sochi, Russia
| | - Oleg Gorskii
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pavel Musienko
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia; National University of Science and Technology "MISIS," Moscow, Russia.
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29
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Shandybina ND, Kuropatenko MV, Moshonkina TR. Regulation of Human Respiration by Electrical Stimulation. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2022; 58:1879-1891. [PMID: 36573159 PMCID: PMC9773692 DOI: 10.1134/s0022093022060175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The review addresses modern methods of electrical stimulation used to regulate the function of external respiration in humans. The methods include abdominal functional stimulation of respiratory muscles, diaphragmatic stimulation, phrenic nerve stimulation, epidural and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. The physiological rationale of their application is described along with the examples of their use in clinical practice, including stimulation parameters and electrode placement diagrams for each of the methods. We analyze the effectiveness of each of the methods in patients with respiratory muscle paresis and the features of their use depending on the level of spinal cord injury. Special attention is paid to the method of epidural spinal cord stimulation because this technique is widely used in electrophysiological studies on animal models, providing deeper insight into the spinal levels of the functional control of external respiration. The review substantiates the great potential of using the method of transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation both in fundamental studies of external respiration and in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. D. Shandybina
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - T. R. Moshonkina
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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30
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Singh G, Lucas K, Keller A, Martin R, Behrman A, Vissarionov S, Gerasimenko YP. Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation From Adults to Children: A Review. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil 2022; 29:16-32. [PMID: 36819932 PMCID: PMC9936896 DOI: 10.46292/sci21-00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neuromodulation via spinal stimulation is a promising therapy that can augment the neuromuscular capacity for voluntary movements, standing, stepping, and posture in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The spinal locomotor-related neuronal network known as a central pattern generator (CPG) can generate a stepping-like motor output in the absence of movement-related afferent signals from the limbs. Using epidural stimulation (EP) in conjunction with activity-based locomotor training (ABLT), the neural circuits can be neuromodulated to facilitate the recovery of locomotor functions in persons with SCI. Recently, transcutaneous spinal stimulation (scTS) has been developed as a noninvasive alternative to EP. Early studies of scTS at thoracolumbar, coccygeal, and cervical regions have demonstrated its effectiveness in producing voluntary leg movements, posture control, and independent standing and improving upper extremity function in adults with chronic SCI. In pediatric studies, the technology of spinal neuromodulation is not yet widespread. There are a limited number of publications reporting on the use of scTS in children and adolescents with either cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goutam Singh
- Kosair Charities School of Physical Therapy, Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Kathryn Lucas
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Anastasia Keller
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Rebecca Martin
- International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Andrea Behrman
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Sergey Vissarionov
- Turner Scientific Research Institute for Children's Orthopedics, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yury P Gerasimenko
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
- Department of Physiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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31
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Hastings S, Zhong H, Feinstein R, Zelczer G, Mitrovich C, Gad P, Edgerton VR. A pilot study combining noninvasive spinal neuromodulation and activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy in children with cerebral palsy. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5660. [PMID: 36198701 PMCID: PMC9535012 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33208-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common pediatric motor disability with multiple symptoms and etiologies. CP is exhibited through sensorimotor delays, impaired posture resulting in limited activities and participation. Our recently concluded, single arm, unblinded, pilot study (NCT04882592) explored whether an intervention combining non-invasive spinal neuromodulation during an activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy (ABNT) can improve voluntary sensory-motor function captured via the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) scores (primary outcome). Sixteen children diagnosed with CP with Gross Motor Function Classification Scale levels I-V were recruited and received the same intervention (2x/week for 8 weeks) to correct the dysfunctional connectivity between supraspinal and spinal networks using the normally developed proprioception. We demonstrate that the intervention was associated with clinically and statistically significant improvement in GMFM-88 scores in all children, thus meeting the prespecified primary endpoint. However, the improvement with ABNT alone needs further exploration. No serious adverse events were observed (safety endpoint). Here the authors report a single arm pilot trial to investigate combined spinal neuromodulation and activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy on voluntary sensory-motor function in children with cerebral palsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Hastings
- Susan Hastings Pediatric Physical Therapy, San Jose, CA, 95128, USA
| | - Hui Zhong
- Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, 90242, USA
| | | | | | | | - Parag Gad
- Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, 90242, USA. .,SpineX Inc., Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA.
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, 90242, USA.,SpineX Inc., Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA.,USC Neurorestoration Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.,Institut Guttmann. Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08916, Badalona, Spain
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32
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Lin A, Shaaya E, Calvert JS, Parker SR, Borton DA, Fridley JS. A Review of Functional Restoration From Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury. Neurospine 2022; 19:703-734. [PMID: 36203296 PMCID: PMC9537842 DOI: 10.14245/ns.2244652.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic spinal cord injury often leads to loss of sensory, motor, and autonomic function below the level of injury. Recent advancements in spinal cord electrical stimulation (SCS) for spinal cord injury have provided potential avenues for restoration of neurologic function in affected patients. This review aims to assess the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation, both epidural (eSCS) and transcutaneous (tSCS), on the return of function in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury. The current literature on human clinical eSCS and tSCS for spinal cord injury was reviewed. Seventy-one relevant studies were included for review, specifically examining changes in volitional movement, changes in muscle activity or spasticity, or return of cardiovascular pulmonary, or genitourinary autonomic function. The total participant sample comprised of 327 patients with spinal cord injury, each evaluated using different stimulation protocols, some for sensorimotor function and others for various autonomic functions. One hundred eight of 127 patients saw improvement in sensorimotor function, 51 of 70 patients saw improvement in autonomic genitourinary function, 32 of 32 patients saw improvement in autonomic pulmonary function, and 32 of 36 patients saw improvement in autonomic cardiovascular function. Although this review highlights SCS as a promising therapeutic neuromodulatory technique to improve rehabilitation in patients with SCI, further mechanistic studies and stimulus parameter optimization are necessary before clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lin
- Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Elias Shaaya
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | | | - David A. Borton
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Department of Veterans Affairs, Providence, RI, USA,Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jared S. Fridley
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Corresponding Author Jared S. Fridley Department of Neurosurgery, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St # 1, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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33
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Edgerton VR, Gad P. Spinal automaticity of movement control and its role in recovering function after spinal injury. Expert Rev Neurother 2022; 22:655-667. [PMID: 36043398 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2022.2115359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The significance of the spinal circuitry in controlling postural and locomotor functions largely re-emerged in the mid-1970s under the leadership of Sten Grillner, demonstrating key phenomena of "central pattern generation" and "fictive locomotion" with an evolutionary perspective. These concepts raised the question of how much function can be recovered after paralysis, given the intrinsic automaticity of spinal networks in injured and uninjured states in adults. AREAS COVERED This review explores biological mechanisms governing spinal control of movements such as posture and locomotion. We focus on concepts that have evolved from experiments performed over the past decade. Rather than a comprehensive review of the vast literature on the neural control of posture and locomotion, we focus on the various mechanisms underlying functional automaticity, and their clinical relevance. EXPERT OPINION We propose that multiple combinations of sensory mechanoreceptors linked to proprioception generate an infinite number of different sensory ensembles, having species-specific meaning and extensive influence in controlling posture and locomotion. These sensory ensembles are translated as a probabilistic phenomenon into highly specific but indeterminate actions. Therefore, we opine that spinal translation of these ensembles in real-time plays a central role in the automaticity of motor control in individuals with and without severe neuromotor dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Reggie Edgerton
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA.,Institut Guttmann. Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Parag Gad
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
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34
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Chen M, Chen Z, Xiao X, Zhou L, Fu R, Jiang X, Pang M, Xia J. Corticospinal circuit neuroplasticity may involve silent synapses: Implications for functional recovery facilitated by neuromodulation after spinal cord injury. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 14:185-194. [PMID: 36824667 PMCID: PMC9941655 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to devastating physical consequences, such as severe sensorimotor dysfunction even lifetime disability, by damaging the corticospinal system. The conventional opinion that SCI is intractable due to the poor regeneration of neurons in the adult central nervous system (CNS) needs to be revisited as the CNS is capable of considerable plasticity, which underlie recovery from neural injury. Substantial spontaneous neuroplasticity has been demonstrated in the corticospinal motor circuitry following SCI. Some of these plastic changes appear to be beneficial while others are detrimental toward locomotor function recovery after SCI. The beneficial corticospinal plasticity in the spared corticospinal circuits can be harnessed therapeutically by multiple contemporary neuromodulatory approaches, especially the electrical stimulation-based modalities, in an activity-dependent manner to improve functional outcomes in post-SCI rehabilitation. Silent synapse generation and unsilencing contribute to profound neuroplasticity that is implicated in a variety of neurological disorders, thus they may be involved in the corticospinal motor circuit neuroplasticity following SCI. Exploring the underlying mechanisms of silent synapse-mediated neuroplasticity in the corticospinal motor circuitry that may be exploited by neuromodulation will inform a novel direction for optimizing therapeutic repair strategies and rehabilitative interventions in SCI patients.
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Key Words
- AMPARs, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors
- BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor
- BMIs, brain-machine interfaces
- CPG, central pattern generator
- CST, corticospinal tract
- Corticospinal motor circuitry
- DBS, deep brain stimulation
- ESS, epidural spinal stimulation
- MEPs, motor-evoked potentials
- NHPs, non-human primates
- NMDARs, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors
- Neuromodulation
- Neuroplasticity
- PSNs, propriospinal neurons
- Rehabilitation
- SCI, spinal cord injury
- STDP, spike timing-dependent plasticity
- Silent synapses
- Spinal cord injury
- TBS, theta burst stimulation
- TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation
- TrkB, tropomyosin-related kinase B
- cTBS, continuous TBS
- iTBS, intermittent TBS
- mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin
- rTMS, repetitive TMS
- tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation
- tcSCS, transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingcong Chen
- Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Zuxin Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Ministry of Education; Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Libing Zhou
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau CNS Regeneration Institute of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Jinan University)-Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Rao Fu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518100, China
| | - Xian Jiang
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorder, Shenzhen Bay laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Mao Pang
- Department of Spine Surgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Center for Engineering and Technology Research of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, China
| | - Jianxun Xia
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunkang School of Medicine and Health, Nanfang College, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510970, China,Corresponding author.
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35
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Samejima S, Henderson R, Pradarelli J, Mondello SE, Moritz CT. Activity-dependent plasticity and spinal cord stimulation for motor recovery following spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2022; 357:114178. [PMID: 35878817 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord injuries lead to permanent physical impairment despite most often being anatomically incomplete disruptions of the spinal cord. Remaining connections between the brain and spinal cord create the potential for inducing neural plasticity to improve sensorimotor function, even many years after injury. This narrative review provides an overview of the current evidence for spontaneous motor recovery, activity-dependent plasticity, and interventions for restoring motor control to residual brain and spinal cord networks via spinal cord stimulation. In addition to open-loop spinal cord stimulation to promote long-term neuroplasticity, we also review a more targeted approach: closed-loop stimulation. Lastly, we review mechanisms of spinal cord neuromodulation to promote sensorimotor recovery, with the goal of advancing the field of rehabilitation for physical impairments following spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soshi Samejima
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Richard Henderson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jared Pradarelli
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sarah E Mondello
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chet T Moritz
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for Neurotechnology, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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36
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Novel Noninvasive Spinal Neuromodulation Strategy Facilitates Recovery of Stepping after Motor Complete Paraplegia. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11133670. [PMID: 35806954 PMCID: PMC9267673 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11133670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that neuroplasticity-promoting neuromodulation can restore sensory-motor pathways after spinal cord injury (SCI), reactivating the dormant locomotor neuronal circuitry. We introduce a neuro-rehabilitative approach that leverages locomotor training with multi-segmental spinal cord transcutaneous electrical stimulation (scTS). We hypothesized that scTS neuromodulates spinal networks, complementing the neuroplastic effects of locomotor training, result in a functional progression toward recovery of locomotion. We conducted a case-study to test this approach on a 27-year-old male classified as AIS A with chronic SCI. The training regimen included task-driven non-weight-bearing training (1 month) followed by weight-bearing training (2 months). Training was paired with multi-level continuous and phase-dependent scTS targeting function-specific motor pools. Results suggest a convergence of cross-lesional networks, improving kinematics during voluntary non-weight-bearing locomotor-like stepping. After weight-bearing training, coordination during stepping improved, suggesting an important role of afferent feedback in further improvement of voluntary control and reorganization of the sensory-motor brain-spinal connectome.
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37
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Steele AG, Manson GA, Horner PJ, Sayenko DG, Contreras-Vidal JL. Effects of transcutaneous spinal stimulation on spatiotemporal cortical activation patterns: A proof-of-concept EEG study. J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 35732141 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac7b4b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSS) has been shown to be a promising non-invasive alternative to epidural spinal cord stimulation (ESS) for improving outcomes of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, studies on the effects of TSS on cortical activation are limited. Our objectives were to evaluate the spatiotemporal effects of TSS on brain activity, and determine changes in functional connectivity under several different stimulation conditions. As a control, we also assessed the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on cortical activity. APPROACH Non-invasive scalp electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during TSS or FES while five neurologically intact participants performed one of three lower-limb tasks while in the supine position: (1) A no contraction control task, (2) a rhythmic contraction task, or (3) a tonic contraction task. After EEG denoising and segmentation, independent components were clustered across subjects to characterize sensorimotor networks in the time and frequency domains. Independent components of the event related potentials (ERPs) were calculated for each cluster and condition. Next, a Generalized Partial Directed Coherence (gPDC) analysis was performed on each cluster to compare the functional connectivity between conditions and tasks. RESULTS Independent Component analysis of EEG during TSS resulted in three clusters identified at Brodmann areas (BA) 9, BA 6, and BA 4, which are areas associated with working memory, planning, and movement control. Lastly, we found significant (p < 0.05, adjusted for multiple comparisons) increases and decreases in functional connectivity of clusters during TSS, but not during FES when compared to the no stimulation conditions. SIGNIFICANCE The findings from this study provide evidence of how TSS recruits cortical networks during tonic and rhythmic lower limb movements. These results have implications for the development of spinal cord-based computer interfaces, and the design of neural stimulation devices for the treatment of pain and sensorimotor deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Steele
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, Texas, 77030-2707, UNITED STATES
| | - Gerome A Manson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, Texas, 77030-2707, UNITED STATES
| | - Philip J Horner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, Texas, 77030-2707, UNITED STATES
| | - Dimitry G Sayenko
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, Texas, 77030-2707, UNITED STATES
| | - Jose L Contreras-Vidal
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, N308 Engineering Building I, Houston, Texas, 77204-4005, UNITED STATES
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38
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Shneider M, Pekker M. Theoretical model of external spinal cord stimulation. Phys Biol 2022; 19. [PMID: 35671753 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac768e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, a simple theoretical model of the excitation of action potentials of multiple motor pools by stimulating current pulses over the lumbosacral regions of the spinal cord is presented. The present model is consistent with known experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Shneider
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-5263, USA, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, UNITED STATES
| | - Mikhail Pekker
- Retired, 310 Elm Road,, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, UNITED STATES
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Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation combined with locomotor training to improve walking ability in people with chronic spinal cord injury: study protocol for an international multi-centred double-blinded randomised sham-controlled trial (eWALK). Spinal Cord 2022; 60:491-497. [PMID: 35013547 DOI: 10.1038/s41393-021-00734-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN An international multi-centred, double-blinded, randomised sham-controlled trial (eWALK). OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of 12 weeks of transcutaneous spinal stimulation (TSS) combined with locomotor training on walking ability in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING Dedicated SCI research centres in Australia, Spain, USA and Scotland. METHODS Fifty community-dwelling individuals with chronic SCI will be recruited. Participants will be eligible if they have bilateral motor levels between T1 and T11, a reproducible lower limb muscle contraction in at least one muscle group, and a Walking Index for SCI II (WISCI II) between 1 and 6. Eligible participants will be randomised to one of two groups, either the active stimulation group or the sham stimulation group. Participants allocated to the stimulation group will receive TSS combined with locomotor training for three 30-min sessions a week for 12 weeks. The locomotor sessions will include walking on a treadmill and overground. Participants allocated to the sham stimulation group will receive the same locomotor training combined with sham stimulation. The primary outcome will be walking ability with stimulation using the WISCI II. Secondary outcomes will record sensation, strength, spasticity, bowel function and quality of life. TRIAL REGISTRATION ANZCTR.org.au identifier ACTRN12620001241921.
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40
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Stochastic spinal neuromodulation tunes the intrinsic logic of spinal neural networks. Exp Neurol 2022; 355:114138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Hofer AS, Scheuber MI, Sartori AM, Good N, Stalder SA, Hammer N, Fricke K, Schalbetter SM, Engmann AK, Weber RZ, Rust R, Schneider MP, Russi N, Favre G, Schwab ME. Stimulation of the cuneiform nucleus enables training and boosts recovery after spinal cord injury. Brain 2022; 145:3681-3697. [PMID: 35583160 PMCID: PMC9586551 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe spinal cord injuries result in permanent paraparesis in spite of the frequent sparing of small portions of white matter. Spared fibre tracts are often incapable of maintaining and modulating the activity of lower spinal motor centres. Effects of rehabilitative training thus remain limited. Here, we activated spared descending brainstem fibres by electrical deep brain stimulation of the cuneiform nucleus of the mesencephalic locomotor region, the main control centre for locomotion in the brainstem, in adult female Lewis rats. We show that deep brain stimulation of the cuneiform nucleus enhances the weak remaining motor drive in highly paraparetic rats with severe, incomplete spinal cord injuries and enables high-intensity locomotor training. Stimulation of the cuneiform nucleus during rehabilitative aquatraining after subchronic (n = 8 stimulated versus n = 7 unstimulated versus n = 7 untrained rats) and chronic (n = 14 stimulated versus n = 9 unstimulated versus n = 9 untrained rats) spinal cord injury re-established substantial locomotion and improved long-term recovery of motor function. We additionally identified a safety window of stimulation parameters ensuring context-specific locomotor control in intact rats (n = 18) and illustrate the importance of timing of treatment initiation after spinal cord injury (n = 14). This study highlights stimulation of the cuneiform nucleus as a highly promising therapeutic strategy to enhance motor recovery after subchronic and chronic incomplete spinal cord injury with direct clinical applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Sophie Hofer
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Myriam I Scheuber
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea M Sartori
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Good
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie A Stalder
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Hammer
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kai Fricke
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sina M Schalbetter
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne K Engmann
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca Z Weber
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ruslan Rust
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marc P Schneider
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natalie Russi
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giacomin Favre
- Department of Economics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin E Schwab
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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42
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Adapting Human-Based Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation to Develop a Clinically Relevant Animal Model. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11072023. [PMID: 35407636 PMCID: PMC8999945 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11072023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) as a neuromodulatory strategy has received great attention as a method to promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, due to the noninvasive nature of tSCS, investigations have primarily focused on human applications. This leaves a critical need for the development of a suitable animal model to further our understanding of this therapeutic intervention in terms of functional and neuroanatomical plasticity and to optimize stimulation protocols. The objective of this study is to establish a new animal model of thoracolumbar tSCS that (1) can accurately recapitulate studies in healthy humans and (2) can receive a repeated and stable tSCS treatment after SCI with minimal restraint, while the electrode remains consistently positioned. We show that our model displays bilateral evoked potentials in multisegmental leg muscles characteristically comparable to humans. Our data also suggest that tSCS mainly activates dorsal root structures like in humans, thereby accounting for the different electrode-to-body-size ratio between the two species. Finally, a repeated tSCS treatment protocol in the awake rat after a complete spinal cord transection is feasible, tolerable, and safe, even with minimal body restraint. Additionally, repeated tSCS was capable of modulating motor output after SCI, providing an avenue to further investigate stimulation-based neuroplasticity and optimize treatment.
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Atkinson DA, Steele AG, Manson GA, Sheynin J, Oh J, Gerasimenko YP, Sayenko DG. Characterization of interlimb interaction via transcutaneous spinal stimulation of cervical and lumbar spinal enlargements. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:1075-1085. [PMID: 35320019 PMCID: PMC8993515 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00456.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of transcutaneous electrical spinal stimulation (TSS) to modulate sensorimotor networks after neurological insult has garnered much attention from both researchers and clinicians in recent years. Although many different stimulation paradigms have been reported, the interlimb effects of these neuromodulation techniques have been little studied. The effects of multisite TSS on interlimb sensorimotor function are of particular interest in the context of neurorehabilitation, as these networks have been shown to be important for functional recovery after neurological insult. The present study utilized a condition-test paradigm to investigate the effects of interenlargement TSS on spinal motor excitability in both cervical and lumbosacral motor pools. Additionally, comparison was made between the conditioning effects of lumbosacral and cervical TSS and peripheral stimulation of the fibular nerve and ulnar nerve, respectively. In 16/16 supine, relaxed participants, facilitation of spinally evoked motor responses (sEMRs) in arm muscles was seen in response to lumbosacral TSS or fibular nerve stimulation, whereas facilitation of sEMRs in leg muscles was seen in response to cervical TSS or ulnar nerve stimulation. The decreased latency between TSS- and peripheral nerve-evoked conditioning implicates interlimb networks in the observed facilitation of motor output. The results demonstrate the ability of multisite TSS to engage interlimb networks, resulting in the bidirectional influence of cervical and lumbosacral motor output. The engagement of interlimb networks via TSS of the cervical and lumbosacral enlargements represents a feasible method for engaging spinal sensorimotor networks in clinical populations with compromised motor function.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Bidirectional interlimb modulation of spinal motor excitability can be evoked by transcutaneous spinal stimulation over the cervical and lumbosacral enlargements. Multisite transcutaneous spinal stimulation engages spinal sensorimotor networks thought to be important in the recovery of function after spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. A. Atkinson
- Doctor of Physical Therapy program, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Austin, Texas
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
| | - A. G. Steele
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - G. A. Manson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
- School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - J. Sheynin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas
| | - J. Oh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
| | - Y. P. Gerasimenko
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
- Department of Physiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
- Pavlov Institute of Physiology, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - D. G. Sayenko
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
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Zhong H, Liu E, Kohli P, Perez L, Edgerton VR, Ginsberg D, Gad P, Kreydin E. Noninvasive spinal neuromodulation mitigates symptoms of idiopathic overactive bladder. Bioelectron Med 2022; 8:5. [PMID: 35317851 PMCID: PMC8941742 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-022-00087-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Overactive bladder (OAB) affects 12 to 30% of the world’s population. The accompanying urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence can have a profound effect on quality of life, leading to depression, social isolation, avoidance of sexual activity and loss of productivity. Conservative measures such as lifestyle modification and pelvic floor physical therapy are the first line of treatment for overactive bladder. Patients who fail these may go on to take medications, undergo neuromodulation or receive injection of botulinum toxin into the bladder wall. While effective, medications have side effects and suffer from poor adherence. Neuromodulation and botulinum toxin injection are also effective but are invasive and not acceptable to some patients. Methods We have developed a novel transcutaneous spinal cord neuromodulator (SCONE™,) that delivers multifrequency electrical stimulation to the spinal cord without the need for insertion or implantation of stimulating electrodes. Previously, multifrequency transcutaneous stimulation has been demonstrated to penetrate to the spinal cord and lead to motor activation of detrusor and external urethral sphincter muscles. Here, we report on eight patients with idiopathic overactive bladder, who underwent 12 weeks of SCONE™ therapy. Results All patients reported statistically significant clinical improvement in multiple symptoms of overactive bladder, such as urinary urgency, frequency and urge incontinence. In addition, patients reported significant symptomatic improvements as captured by validated clinical surveys. Conclusion SCONE™ therapy represents the first of its kind therapy to treat symptoms of urgency, frequency and urge urinary incontinence in patients with OAB. Trial registration The study was listed on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03753750).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhong
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Rancho Research Institute, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, 90242, USA
| | - Emilie Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Rancho Research Institute, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, 90242, USA.,SpineX Inc., 19509 Astor Pl, Northridge, Los Angeles, CA, 91324, USA
| | - Priya Kohli
- Rancho Research Institute, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, 90242, USA.,Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Laura Perez
- Rancho Research Institute, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, 90242, USA.,Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Ginsberg
- Rancho Research Institute, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, 90242, USA.,Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Parag Gad
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. .,Rancho Research Institute, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, 90242, USA. .,SpineX Inc., 19509 Astor Pl, Northridge, Los Angeles, CA, 91324, USA.
| | - Evgeniy Kreydin
- Rancho Research Institute, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, 90242, USA.,Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
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45
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Kandhari S, Sharma D, Samuel S, Sharma G, Majumdar P, Edgerton VR, Gad P. Epidural spinal stimulation enables global sensorimotor and autonomic function recovery after complete paralysis: 1st study from India. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2022; 30:2052-2059. [PMID: 35271446 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2022.3158393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
While the loss of sensorimotor and autonomic function often occurs due to multiple trauma and pathologies, spinal cord injury is one of the few traumatic pathologies that severely affects multiple organ systems both upstream and downstream of the injury. Current standard of care therapies primarily maintains health and avoids secondary complications. They do not address the underlying neurological condition. Multiple modalities including spinal neuromodulation have shown promise as potential therapies. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the impact of activity-based neurorehabilitation in presence of epidural spinal stimulation to enable simultaneous global recovery of sensorimotor and autonomic functions in patients with complete motor paralysis due to spinal cord injury. These data are unique in that it quantifies simultaneously changes multiple organ systems within only 2 months of intense activity-based neurorehabilitation when also delivering epidural stimulation consisting of sub-motor threshold stimulation over a period of 12-16 hours/day to enable 'self-training' in 10 patients. Finally, these studies were done in a traditional neurorehabilitation clinical in India using off-the-shelf electrode arrays and pulse generators, thus demonstrating the feasibility of this approach in simultaneously enabling recoveries of multiple physiological organ systems after chronic paralysis and the ability to perform these procedures in a standard, well-controlled clinical environment.
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46
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Laskin JJ, Waheed Z, Thorogood NP, Nightingale TE, Noonan VK. Spinal cord stimulation research in the restoration of motor, sensory and autonomic function for individuals living with spinal cord injuries: A scoping review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2022; 103:1387-1397. [PMID: 35202581 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2022.01.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the status of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) research for the improvement of motor, sensory and autonomic function for individuals living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). DATA SOURCES This scoping review identified original research published prior to March 31, 2021, via literature searches using Medline, EMBASE, PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, Sport Discus, Web of Science, as well as a targeted search for well-known principal investigators. Search terms included permutations of "spinal cord stimulation", "epidural spinal cord stimulation", "transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation", "magnetic spinal cord stimulation" and "neuromodulation". STUDY SELECTION Studies were included if they: 1) were in English, 2) presented original research on humans living with a SCI, and 3) investigated at least one of the three forms of SCS. DATA EXTRACTION Extracted data included: authors, publication year, participant characteristics, purpose, study design, stimulation (device, location, parameters,) primary outcomes, and adverse events. DATA SYNTHESIS As a scoping review the extracted data was tabulated and presented descriptively. Themes and gaps in the literature were identified and reported. Of the 5,754 articles screened, 103 articles were included (55 epidural, 36 transcutaneous and 12 magnetic). The primary research design was a case study or series with only a single randomized clinical trial. Motor recovery was the most common primary outcome for epidural and transcutaneous SCS studies whereas bowel and bladder outcomes were most common for magnetic. Seventy percent of the studies included 10 or fewer participants, and 18 articles documented at least one adverse event. Incomplete stimulation parameter descriptions were noted across many studies. No articles mentioned direct engagement of consumers or advocacy groups. CONCLUSION This review identified a need for more robust study designs, larger sample sizes, comparative studies, improved reporting of stimulation parameters, adverse event data, and alignment of outcomes with the priorities of the SCI community.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Laskin
- Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.
| | - Zeina Waheed
- Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Tom E Nightingale
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; School of Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Centre for Trauma Sciences Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa K Noonan
- Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Kreydin E, Zhong H, Lavrov I, Edgerton VR, Gad P. The Effect of Non-invasive Spinal Cord Stimulation on Anorectal Function in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:816106. [PMID: 35250456 PMCID: PMC8891530 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.816106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that impacts multiple organ systems. Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) frequently occurs after a SCI leading to reduced sensation of bowel fullness and bowel movement often leading to constipation or fecal incontinence. Spinal Neuromodulation has been proven to be a successful modality to improve sensorimotor and autonomic function in patients with spinal cord injuries. The pilot data presented here represents the first demonstration of using spinal neuromodulation to activate the anorectal regions of patients with spinal cord injuries and the acute and chronic effects of stimulation. We observed that spinal stimulation induces contractions as well as changes in sensation and pressure profiles along the length of the anorectal region. In addition, we present a case report of a patient with a SCI and the beneficial effect of spinal neuromodulation on the patient’s bowel program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy Kreydin
- Keck School of Medicine, Institute of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, United States
- SpineX Inc., Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hui Zhong
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Igor Lavrov
- Department of Neurology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, NY, United States
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - V. Reggie Edgerton
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari Adscrit a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Parag Gad
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Rancho Research Institute, Downey, CA, United States
- SpineX Inc., Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Parag Gad,
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Simão CR, DE Holanda LJ, Urbini LF, Lacerda MO, Fernandes K, DA Silva PM, Morya E, Lindquist AR. Surface electromyography to identify top-down modulation in complete chronic spinal cord injury. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 2022; 58:144-149. [PMID: 34468111 PMCID: PMC9980542 DOI: 10.23736/s1973-9087.21.06878-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Complete spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by permanent loss of nerve impulse propagation through the injury level leading to complete loss of voluntary muscle contraction. However, clinically undetectable top-down modulation of lower limbs might be present and can be evidenced using surface electromyography (sEMG). CASE REPORT A subject with complete chronic SCI and no spasticity presents voluntary modulation of sEMG signal during a task-specific activity associated with sensory input. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT We present for the first time the spectral characterization of sEMG signal in response to orthostatic training associated with voluntary movement attempts in complete SCI. Behavior of sEMG signal varied according to kinematic properties of movement, reinforcing the voluntary influence of efferent pathways on motor output. Our findings will contribute to elaborate evaluation protocols to investigate the preservation of corticospinal activities, and to evolve more accessible strategies in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila R Simão
- Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute, Macaíba, Brazil.,Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil.,Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Ledycnarf J DE Holanda
- Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute, Macaíba, Brazil.,Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Lilian F Urbini
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute, Macaíba, Brazil.,Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Matheus O Lacerda
- Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Karina Fernandes
- Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Patrícia M DA Silva
- Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute, Macaíba, Brazil.,Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Edgard Morya
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute, Macaíba, Brazil.,Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil.,Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Ana R Lindquist
- Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil -
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49
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Neural Substrates of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation: Neuromodulation across Multiple Segments of the Spinal Cord. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11030639. [PMID: 35160091 PMCID: PMC8836636 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11030639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has the potential to promote improved sensorimotor rehabilitation by modulating the circuitry of the spinal cord non-invasively. Little is currently known about how cervical or lumbar tSCS influences the excitability of spinal and corticospinal networks, or whether the synergistic effects of multi-segmental tSCS occur between remote segments of the spinal cord. The aim of this review is to describe the emergence and development of tSCS as a novel method to modulate the spinal cord, while highlighting the effectiveness of tSCS in improving sensorimotor recovery after spinal cord injury. This review underscores the ability of single-site tSCS to alter excitability across multiple segments of the spinal cord, while multiple sites of tSCS converge to facilitate spinal reflex and corticospinal networks. Finally, the potential and current limitations for engaging cervical and lumbar spinal cord networks through tSCS to enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions are discussed. Further mechanistic work is needed in order to optimize targeted rehabilitation strategies and improve clinical outcomes.
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50
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Samejima S, Caskey CD, Inanici F, Shrivastav SR, Brighton LN, Pradarelli J, Martinez V, Steele KM, Saigal R, Moritz CT. Multisite Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation for Walking and Autonomic Recovery in Motor-Incomplete Tetraplegia: A Single-Subject Design. Phys Ther 2022; 102:6514473. [PMID: 35076067 PMCID: PMC8788019 DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzab228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated the effect of cervical and lumbar transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) combined with intensive training to improve walking and autonomic function after chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS Two 64-year-old men with chronic motor incomplete cervical SCI participated in this single-subject design study. They each underwent 2 months of intensive locomotor training and 2 months of multisite cervical and lumbosacral tSCS paired with intensive locomotor training. RESULTS The improvement in 6-Minute Walk Test distance after 2 months of tSCS with intensive training was threefold greater than after locomotor training alone. Both participants improved balance ability measured by the Berg Balance Scale and increased their ability to engage in daily home exercises. Gait analysis demonstrated increased step length for each individual. Both participants experienced improved sensation and bowel function, and 1 participant eliminated the need for intermittent catheterization after the stimulation phase of the study. CONCLUSION These results suggest that noninvasive spinal cord stimulation might promote recovery of locomotor and autonomic functions beyond traditional gait training in people with chronic incomplete cervical SCI. IMPACT Multisite transcutaneous spinal stimulation may induce neuroplasticity of the spinal networks and confer functional benefits following chronic cervical SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soshi Samejima
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Charlotte D Caskey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Fatma Inanici
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Siddhi R Shrivastav
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lorie N Brighton
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jared Pradarelli
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Vincente Martinez
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Katherine M Steele
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Rajiv Saigal
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Chet T Moritz
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA,Address all correspondence to Dr Moritz at:
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