Location-, intensity-, and frequency-optimized epidural stimulation restores hand function after complete spinal cord injury
Oh, J.; Steele, A. G.; Scheffler, M.; Martin, C.; Sheynin, J.; Dietz, V. A.; Valdivia-Padilla, A.; Stampas, A.; Korupolu, R.; Karmonik, C.; Hodics, T. M.; Freyvert, Y.; Manzella, M.; Faraji, A. H.; Horner, P. J.; Sayenko, D. G.
Show abstract
Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) causes profound and persistent loss of hand function, and effective neuromodulation strategies remain limited. We report the first-in-human implantation of a 32-contact cervical epidural paddle array in two individuals with severe chronic SCI. Individualized motor pool recruitment maps, derived from systematic bipolar and multipolar configurations, enabled person-specific stimulation parameters. Optimized stimulation restored volitional hand opening, closing and coordinated upper-limb movements that were previously unattainable. This approach achieved a >91% success rate in complex reach-grasp-lift-release sequences, supported by substantial gains in range of motion, grip, and pinch strength. Electrophysiological and kinematic analyses demonstrated parameter-dependent, selective recruitment of flexor and extensor motor pools. Personalized stimulation programs integrated with goal-directed activities enabled functional hand use in home and community settings, sustained over several months of continued autonomous use. These findings establish a mechanistically grounded and translational framework for restoring upper-limb function after chronic severe SCI.
Matching journals
The top 6 journals account for 50% of the predicted probability mass.
Similar papers in this journal
- Generating Artificial Sensations with Spinal Cord Stimulation in Primates and Rodents 95%
- Subthreshold intracortical microstimulation of human somatosensory cortex enhances tactile sensitivity 94%
- Flexible and Stable Cycle-by-Cycle Phase-Locked Deep Brain Stimulation System Targeting Brain Oscillations in the Management of Movement Disorders 93%
Similar papers in this journal
- Transcutaneous Electrical Spinal Cord Stimulation Promotes Focal Sensorimotor Activation that Accelerates Brain-Computer Interface Skill Learning 93%
- Movement-Dependent Electrical Stimulation for Volitional Strengthening of Cortical Connections in Behaving Monkeys 92%
- Creating a neuroprosthesis for active tactile exploration of textures 92%
Similar papers in this journal
- Motor somatotopy impacts imagery strategy success in human intracortical brain-computer interfaces 94%
- A biomimetic electrical stimulation strategy to induce asynchronous stochastic neural activity 94%
- Identifying alterations in hand movement coordination from chronic stroke survivors using a wearable high-density EMG sleeve 93%
"Similar papers" are the closest papers from that journal in the model's embedding space. They show what the match is built on, but the ranking comes mostly from a classifier over the whole training set, not from these examples alone.