Reactivating Neural Circuits with Clinically Accessible Stimulation to Restore Hand Function in Persons with Tetraplegia
Abstract
Rationale and Objective: There are about 276,000 people living with spinal cord injury in the United States alone, and over 50% of people with spinal cord injury have injuries to the neck that results in weakness or complete loss of muscle function in the arms and hands, a condition called tetraplegia. For these individuals, activities such as eating, dressing, dialing a phone, etc. all become difficult, time-consuming tasks that in many cases require assistance. Loss of ability to use the hands severely restricts a person s independence, employment options, and quality of life by limiting the ability to do functional activities related to self-care, work, and leisure. Most people with spinal cord injury have some remaining pathways between the brain and the spinal cord; however, studies have shown that the brain becomes less effective at transmitting information through these remaining spinal pathways. Our studies are intended to increase the ability of the brain to push information through the remaining spinal cord pathways in order to improve hand function. The studies will be performed in a real-world clinical setting so that the results can be immediately relevant for application to clinical practice. We believe that increasing the ability of the brain to push information through the remaining spinal pathways will result in more effective therapy and larger improvements in hand function. Projected Impact on Research, Patient Care, and Quality of Life: Research on the best treatments for impaired arm and hand function after spinal cord injury is currently limited. The results of this study would further our understanding of the usefulness of two popular tools -- brain stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation -- for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. More effective treatment techniques are important for decreasing the amount of time patients spend in a hospital or rehabilitation, as well as decreasing the cost of therapy. Beyond time and expense costs, more effective treatment of arm and hand dysfunction could lead to improved use of one s arms and hands to accomplish the daily activities that are meaningful to them. Studies have shown that improved arm and hand function significantly impacts quality of life for people with spinal cord injury. We intentionally selected stimulation devices that are available for clinical use so that the results of our study can be easily applied to clinical settings. Our study has been designed to fit within the time and financial restrictions of treatment sessions at an average rehabilitation hospital and to include people with both new and older spinal cord injuries. Therefore, we expect that our findings will apply to a broad group of people with reduced arm and hand function after a spinal cord injury and will be of interest to the healthcare professionals and researchers who work to increase their independence and quality of life.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610395
Entities
People
- Edelle C Field-Fote
Organizations
- Shepherd Center
- United States Army