Restoring Walking after Spinal Cord Injury

Authors

  • Bradley J. Holinski INO and University of Alberta
  • Alex Paquet INO
  • Patrice Topart INO
  • Dirk G. Everaert University of Alberta
  • Richard B. Stein University of Alberta
  • Vivian K. Mushahwar University of Alberta

Abstract

A spinal cord injury may cause paralysis and altered motor, respiratory, and bladder function. Intraspinal microstimulation can be used to activate latent motor networks in the ventral horn of the spinal cord that remain intact below the lesion level after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Previous work in cats has shown that ISMS activates networks of neurons in the lumbosacral region of the spinal cord and produces co-ordinated multi-joint movements, which tend to be fatigue-resistant. In this work, we demonstrate that ISMS produces over ground walking in adult cats for distances nearing 1 km. One of the main challenges in producing functional walking is the spatial targeting of motor networks within the spinal cord. An electrode is under development that contains multiple independent stimulation sites along the length of the electrode to improve the probability of stimulating the target region. These developments might eventually help to restore functional walking after spinal cord injury.

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Published

2014-05-20

How to Cite

[1]
B. J. Holinski, A. Paquet, P. Topart, D. G. Everaert, R. B. Stein, and V. K. Mushahwar, “Restoring Walking after Spinal Cord Injury”, CMBES Proc., vol. 37, May 2014.

Issue

Vol. 37 (2014)

Section

Medical Devices