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Herring EZ, Graczyk EL, Memberg WD, Adams R, Fernandez Baca-Vaca G, Hutchison BC, Krall JT, Alexander BJ, Conlan EC, Alfaro KE, Bhat P, Ketting-Olivier AB, Haddix CA, Taylor DM, Tyler DJ, Sweet JA, Kirsch RF, Ajiboye AB, Miller JP. Reconnecting the Hand and Arm to the Brain: Efficacy of Neural Interfaces for Sensorimotor Restoration After Tetraplegia. Neurosurgery 2024; 94:864-874. [PMID: 37982637 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Paralysis after spinal cord injury involves damage to pathways that connect neurons in the brain to peripheral nerves in the limbs. Re-establishing this communication using neural interfaces has the potential to bridge the gap and restore upper extremity function to people with high tetraplegia. We report a novel approach for restoring upper extremity function using selective peripheral nerve stimulation controlled by intracortical microelectrode recordings from sensorimotor networks, along with restoration of tactile sensation of the hand using intracortical microstimulation. METHODS A 27-year-old right-handed man with AIS-B (motor-complete, sensory-incomplete) C3-C4 tetraplegia was enrolled into the clinical trial. Six 64-channel intracortical microelectrode arrays were implanted into left hemisphere regions involved in upper extremity function, including primary motor and sensory cortices, inferior frontal gyrus, and anterior intraparietal area. Nine 16-channel extraneural peripheral nerve electrodes were implanted to allow targeted stimulation of right median, ulnar (2), radial, axillary, musculocutaneous, suprascapular, lateral pectoral, and long thoracic nerves, to produce selective muscle contractions on demand. Proof-of-concept studies were performed to demonstrate feasibility of using a brain-machine interface to read from and write to the brain for restoring motor and sensory functions of the participant's own arm and hand. RESULTS Multiunit neural activity that correlated with intended motor action was successfully recorded from intracortical arrays. Microstimulation of electrodes in somatosensory cortex produced repeatable sensory percepts of individual fingers for restoration of touch sensation. Selective electrical activation of peripheral nerves produced antigravity muscle contractions, resulting in functional movements that the participant was able to command under brain control to perform virtual and actual arm and hand movements. The system was well tolerated with no operative complications. CONCLUSION The combination of implanted cortical electrodes and nerve cuff electrodes has the potential to create bidirectional restoration of motor and sensory functions of the arm and hand after neurological injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Z Herring
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Emily L Graczyk
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - William D Memberg
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Robert Adams
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Gaudalupe Fernandez Baca-Vaca
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Brianna C Hutchison
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - John T Krall
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Benjamin J Alexander
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Emily C Conlan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Kenya E Alfaro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Preethisiri Bhat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Aaron B Ketting-Olivier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Chase A Haddix
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Dawn M Taylor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Dustin J Tyler
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Jennifer A Sweet
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Robert F Kirsch
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - A Bolu Ajiboye
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Jonathan P Miller
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
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Herring EZ, Graczyk EL, Memberg WD, Adams RD, Baca-Vaca GF, Hutchison BC, Krall JT, Alexander BJ, Conlan EC, Alfaro KE, Bhat PR, Ketting-Olivier AB, Haddix CA, Taylor DM, Tyler DJ, Kirsch RF, Ajiboye AB, Miller JP. Reconnecting the Hand and Arm to the Brain: Efficacy of Neural Interfaces for Sensorimotor Restoration after Tetraplegia. medRxiv 2023:2023.04.24.23288977. [PMID: 37162904 PMCID: PMC10168522 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.24.23288977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Background Paralysis after spinal cord injury involves damage to pathways that connect neurons in the brain to peripheral nerves in the limbs. Re-establishing this communication using neural interfaces has the potential to bridge the gap and restore upper extremity function to people with high tetraplegia. Objective We report a novel approach for restoring upper extremity function using selective peripheral nerve stimulation controlled by intracortical microelectrode recordings from sensorimotor networks, along with restoration of tactile sensation of the hand using intracortical microstimulation. Methods A right-handed man with motor-complete C3-C4 tetraplegia was enrolled into the clinical trial. Six 64-channel intracortical microelectrode arrays were implanted into left hemisphere regions involved in upper extremity function, including primary motor and sensory cortices, inferior frontal gyrus, and anterior intraparietal area. Nine 16-channel extraneural peripheral nerve electrodes were implanted to allow targeted stimulation of right median, ulnar (2), radial, axillary, musculocutaneous, suprascapular, lateral pectoral, and long thoracic nerves, to produce selective muscle contractions on demand. Proof-of-concept studies were performed to demonstrate feasibility of a bidirectional brain-machine interface to restore function of the participant's own arm and hand. Results Multi-unit neural activity that correlated with intended motor action was successfully recorded from intracortical arrays. Microstimulation of electrodes in somatosensory cortex produced repeatable sensory percepts of individual fingers for restoration of touch sensation. Selective electrical activation of peripheral nerves produced antigravity muscle contractions. The system was well tolerated with no operative complications. Conclusion The combination of implanted cortical electrodes and nerve cuff electrodes has the potential to allow restoration of motor and sensory functions of the arm and hand after neurological injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Z Herring
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- The Neurological Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Emily L Graczyk
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - William D Memberg
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Robert D Adams
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Brianna C Hutchison
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - John T Krall
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Benjamin J Alexander
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Emily C Conlan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Kenya E Alfaro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Preethi R Bhat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Chase A Haddix
- Department of Neuroscience, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Dawn M Taylor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Dustin J Tyler
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Robert F Kirsch
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - A Bolu Ajiboye
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jonathan P Miller
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- The Neurological Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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