Restoration of Reaching and Grasping Function in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury Using MyndMove Neuromodulation Therapy
Abstract
Severe paralysis of the arms and hands can be devastating for individuals following a spinal cord injury (SCI) as it is associated with difficulty or inability to independently perform activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting. Indeed, a survey of people with SCI revealed that the majority of people with tetraplegia rated recovery of hand function as their highest priority. MyndMove, a new non-invasive therapy, offers the opportunity to improve outcomes for people with severe paralysis of the arms and hands following SCI or stroke. MyndMove uses surface electrical stimulation to stimulate up to eight muscles in the arm and hand in a coordinated movement, called functional electrical stimulation (FES). The therapy is designed to promote development and reestablishment of neural pathways within the central nervous system and between the central nervous system and the upper extremity by engaging neuroplasticity. The goal is to retrain intact parts of the central nervous system to take over the function of the parts damaged during the SCI and regain voluntary movement. Clinical studies have shown that participants receiving the FES therapy realized greater improvement in their ability to independently perform activities of daily living compared to participants receiving intensive conventional therapy. The proposed multi-center randomized controlled study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of MyndMove for individuals with traumatic, incomplete C4-C7 SCI. It is anticipated that the study will validate the FES treatment effects previously reported in early single-center studies. The study will examine the durability of improvements in voluntary arm and hand movement and compare the efficacy of MyndMove therapy to both intensive conventional therapy and usual care. The impact of MyndMove therapy on the quality of life and healthcare resource utilization will be characterized. Finally, the results of this study should assist in redefining clinical best practices in SCI rehabilitation, dramatically improve the quality of life in SCI individuals, and reduce the economic burden associated with arm and hand paralysis for individuals with SCI, their families, healthcare providers, and society.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610790
Entities
People
- Lawrence Horn
Organizations
- United States Army
- Wayne State University