15:00
25 mins
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RESTORING UPPER EXTREMITY FUNCTION TO INDIVIDUALS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
Robert F. Kirsch
Abstract: About 20% of all spinal cord injuries result in high tetraplegia - complete paralysis below the neck due to high cervical (C1-C4 level) spinal cord injury. These individuals are highly disabled and are typically entirely dependent on outside assistance for every activity essential for daily life. The currently available options for improving the functional independence of these individuals are extremely limited. Our group has been working for more than 10 years to develop a neuroprosthesis that uses functional electrical stimulation (FES) to activate the paralyzed muscles of the shoulder, arm, and hand in a coordinated manner that restores the ability of the recipient to use their upper extremity in functional activities. This presentation will summarize the activities of my group to develop this approach, including: (1) the use of modeling and simulation to establish initial feasibility of the approach, to develop feedback control systems, and to provide a virtual arm interface for initial evaluations of user interfaces, (2) the evaluation of several novel user command interfaces (including implanted brain recordings) to allow the user to direct the actions of their arm and hand , and (3) the final integration of all these components into a functional system that has been surgically deployed in two individuals with high tetraplegia.
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