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Chen W, Wang S, Bao J, Yu C, Jiang Q, Song J, Zheng Y, Hao Y, Xu K. Restoration of coherent reach-grasp-pull movement via sequential intraneural peripheral nerve stimulation in rats. J Neural Eng 2024; 21:046007. [PMID: 38885677 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ad5935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) has been demonstrated as an effective way to selectively activate muscles and to produce fine hand movements. However, sequential multi-joint upper limb movements, which are critical for paralysis rehabilitation, has not been tested with PNS. Here, we aimed to restore multiple upper limb joint movements through an intraneural interface with a single electrode, achieving coherent reach-grasp-pull movement tasks through sequential stimulation.Approach.A transverse intrafascicular multichannel electrode was implanted under the axilla of the rat's upper limb, traversing the musculocutaneous, radial, median, and ulnar nerves. Intramuscular electrodes were implanted into the biceps brachii (BB), triceps brachii (TB), flexor carpi radialis (FCR), and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscles to record electromyographic (EMG) activity and video recordings were used to capture the kinematics of elbow, wrist, and digit joints. Charge-balanced biphasic pulses were applied to different channels to recruit distinct upper limb muscles, with concurrent recording of EMG signals and joint kinematics to assess the efficacy of the stimulation. Finally, a sequential stimulation protocol was employed by generating coordinated pulses in different channels.Main results.BB, TB, FCR and ECR muscles were selectively activated and various upper limb movements, including elbow flexion, elbow extension, wrist flexion, wrist extension, digit flexion, and digit extension, were reliably generated. The modulation effects of stimulation parameters, including pulse width, amplitude, and frequency, on induced joint movements were investigated and reach-grasp-pull movement was elicited by sequential stimulation.Significance.Our results demonstrated the feasibility of sequential intraneural stimulation for functional multi-joint movement restoration, providing a new approach for clinical rehabilitation in paralyzed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihuang Chen
- Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies (QAAS), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Nanhu Brain-computer interface institute, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Suhao Wang
- Nanhu Brain-computer interface institute, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Soft Matter Research Center, and Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Jieting Bao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaonan Yu
- Nanhu Brain-computer interface institute, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianqian Jiang
- Nanhu Brain-computer interface institute, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Soft Matter Research Center, and Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Jizhou Song
- Nanhu Brain-computer interface institute, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Soft Matter Research Center, and Key Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongte Zheng
- Cereblink (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaoyao Hao
- Nanhu Brain-computer interface institute, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
| | - Kedi Xu
- Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies (QAAS), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Nanhu Brain-computer interface institute, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- The State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311100, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Losanno E, Ceradini M, Agnesi F, Righi G, Del Popolo G, Shokur S, Micera S. A Virtual Reality-Based Protocol to Determine the Preferred Control Strategy for Hand Neuroprostheses in People With Paralysis. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2024; 32:2261-2269. [PMID: 38865234 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2024.3413192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Hand neuroprostheses restore voluntary movement in people with paralysis through neuromodulation protocols. There are a variety of strategies to control hand neuroprostheses, which can be based on residual body movements or brain activity. There is no universally superior solution, rather the best approach may vary from patient to patient. Here, we propose a protocol based on an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment that simulates the use of a hand neuroprosthesis to allow patients to experience and familiarize themselves with various control schemes in clinically relevant tasks and choose the preferred one. We used our VR environment to compare two alternative control strategies over 5 days of training in four patients with C6 spinal cord injury: (a) control via the ipsilateral wrist, (b) control via the contralateral shoulder. We did not find a one-fits-all solution but rather a subject-specific preference that could not be predicted based only on a general clinical assessment. The main results were that the VR simulation allowed participants to experience the pros and cons of the proposed strategies and make an educated choice, and that there was a longitudinal improvement. This shows that our VR-based protocol is a useful tool for personalization and training of the control strategy of hand neuroprostheses, which could help to promote user comfort and thus acceptance.
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Parker SR, Calvert JS, Darie R, Jang J, Govindarajan LN, Angelino K, Chitnis G, Iyassu Y, Shaaya E, Fridley JS, Serre T, McLaughlin BL, Borton DA. An active electronic bidirectional interface for high resolution interrogation of the spinal cord. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.29.596250. [PMID: 38853820 PMCID: PMC11160681 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.29.596250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Epidural electrical stimulation (EES) has shown promise as both a clinical therapeutic tool and research aid in the study of nervous system function. However, available clinical paddles are limited to using a small number of contacts due to the burden of wires necessary to connect each contact to the therapeutic device. Here, we introduce for the first time the integration of a hermetic active electronic multiplexer onto the electrode paddle array itself, removing this interconnect limitation. We evaluated the chronic implantation of an active electronic 60-contact paddle (the HD64) on the lumbosacral spinal cord of two sheep. The HD64 was implanted for 13 months and 15 months, with no device-related malfunctions or adverse events. We identified increased selectivity in EES-evoked motor responses using dense stimulating bipoles. Further, we found that dense recording bipoles decreased the spatial correlation between channels during recordings. Finally, spatial electrode encoding enabled a neural network to accurately perform EES parameter inference for unseen stimulation electrodes, reducing training data requirements. A high-density EES paddle, containing active electronics safely integrated into neural interfaces, opens new avenues for the study of nervous system function and new therapies to treat neural injury and dysfunction.
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Levett JJ, Elkaim LM, Niazi F, Weber MH, Iorio-Morin C, Bonizzato M, Weil AG. Invasive Brain Computer Interface for Motor Restoration in Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review. Neuromodulation 2024; 27:597-603. [PMID: 37943244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Systematic review of the literature. OBJECTIVES In recent years, brain-computer interface (BCI) has emerged as a potential treatment for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). This is the first systematic review of the literature on invasive closed-loop BCI technologies for the treatment of SCI in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS A comprehensive search of PubMed MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Ovid EMBASE was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RESULTS Of 8316 articles collected, 19 studies met all the inclusion criteria. Data from 21 patients were extracted from these studies. All patients sustained a cervical SCI and were treated using either a BCI with intracortical microelectrode arrays (n = 18, 85.7%) or electrocorticography (n = 3, 14.3%). To decode these neural signals, machine learning and statistical models were used: support vector machine in eight patients (38.1%), linear estimator in seven patients (33.3%), Hidden Markov Model in three patients (14.3%), and other in three patients (14.3%). As the outputs, ten patients (47.6%) underwent noninvasive functional electrical stimulation (FES) with a cuff; one (4.8%) had an invasive FES with percutaneous stimulation, and ten (47.6%) used an external device (neuroprosthesis or virtual avatar). Motor function was restored in all patients for each assigned task. Clinical outcome measures were heterogeneous across all studies. CONCLUSIONS Invasive techniques of BCI show promise for the treatment of SCI, but there is currently no technology that can restore complete functional autonomy in patients with SCI. The current techniques and outcomes of BCI vary greatly. Because invasive BCIs are still in the early stages of development, further clinical studies should be conducted to optimize the prognosis for patients with SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan J Levett
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lior M Elkaim
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Farbod Niazi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael H Weber
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Marco Bonizzato
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Neuroscience and Centre interdisciplinaire sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alexander G Weil
- Division of Neurosurgery, St-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Xu S, Li C, Wei C, Kang X, Shu S, Liu G, Xu Z, Han M, Luo J, Tang W. Closed-Loop Wearable Device Network of Intrinsically-Controlled, Bilateral Coordinated Functional Electrical Stimulation for Stroke. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304763. [PMID: 38429890 PMCID: PMC11077660 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Innovative functional electrical stimulation has demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing daily walking and rehabilitating stroke patients with foot drop. However, its lack of precision in stimulating timing, individual adaptivity, and bilateral symmetry, resulted in diminished clinical efficacy. Therefore, a closed-loop wearable device network of intrinsically controlled functional electrical stimulation (CI-FES) system is proposed, which utilizes the personal surface myoelectricity, derived from the intrinsic neuro signal, as the switch to activate/deactivate the stimulation on the affected side. Simultaneously, it decodes the myoelectricity signal of the patient's healthy side to adjust the stimulation intensity, forming an intrinsically controlled loop with the inertial measurement units. With CI-FES assistance, patients' walking ability significantly improved, evidenced by the shift in ankle joint angle mean and variance from 105.53° and 28.84 to 102.81° and 17.71, and the oxyhemoglobin concentration tested by the functional near-infrared spectroscopy. In long-term CI-FES-assisted clinical testing, the discriminability in machine learning classification between patients and healthy individuals gradually decreased from 100% to 92.5%, suggesting a remarkable recovery tendency, further substantiated by performance on the functional movement scales. The developed CI-FES system is crucial for contralateral-hemiplegic stroke recovery, paving the way for future closed-loop stimulation systems in stroke rehabilitation is anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxing Xu
- Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and NanosystemsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing101400China
- Center on Nanoenergy ResearchSchool of Physical Science & TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530004China
- School of Nanoscience and TechnologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Chengyu Li
- Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and NanosystemsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing101400China
- School of Nanoscience and TechnologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Conghui Wei
- Rehabilitation Medicine DepartmentThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang City330006P. R. China
| | - Xinfang Kang
- Rehabilitation Medicine DepartmentThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang City330006P. R. China
| | - Sheng Shu
- Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and NanosystemsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing101400China
- School of Nanoscience and TechnologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Guanlin Liu
- Center on Nanoenergy ResearchSchool of Physical Science & TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530004China
| | - Zijie Xu
- Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and NanosystemsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing101400China
- School of Nanoscience and TechnologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Mengdi Han
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCollege of Future TechnologyPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Jun Luo
- Rehabilitation Medicine DepartmentThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang UniversityNanchang City330006P. R. China
| | - Wei Tang
- Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and NanosystemsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing101400China
- School of Nanoscience and TechnologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
- Institute of Applied NanotechnologyJiaxingZhejiang314031China
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Steele AG, Taccola G, Frazier AM, Manzella M, Hogan M, Horner PJ, Faraji AH, Sayenko DG. Mapping lumbar efferent and afferent spinal circuitries via paddle array in a porcine model. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 405:110104. [PMID: 38447914 PMCID: PMC10990770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preclinical models are essential for identifying changes occurring after neurologic injury and assessing therapeutic interventions. Yucatan miniature pigs (minipigs) have brain and spinal cord dimensions like humans and are useful for laboratory-to-clinic studies. Yet, little work has been done to map spinal sensorimotor distributions and identify similarities and differences between the porcine and human spinal cords. NEW METHODS To characterize efferent and afferent signaling, we implanted a conventional 32-contact, four-column array into the dorsal epidural space over the lumbosacral spinal cord, spanning the L5-L6 vertebrae, in two Yucatan minipigs. Spinally evoked motor potentials were recorded bilaterally in four hindlimb muscles during stimulation delivered from different array locations. Then, cord dorsum potentials were recorded via the array by stimulating the left and right tibial nerves. RESULTS Utilizing epidural spinal stimulation, we achieved selective left, right, proximal, and distal activation in the hindlimb muscles. We then determined the selectivity of each muscle as a function of stimulation location which relates to the distribution of the lumbar motor pools. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Mapping motoneuron distribution to hindlimb muscles and recording responses to peripheral nerve stimulation in the dorsal epidural space reveals insights into ascending and descending signal propagation in the lumbar spinal cord. Clinical-grade arrays have not been utilized in a porcine model. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that efferent and afferent spinal sensorimotor networks are spatially distinct, provide information about the organization of motor pools in the lumbar enlargement, and demonstrate the feasibility of using clinical-grade devices in large animal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- A G Steele
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - G Taccola
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea, Trieste, Italy
| | - A M Frazier
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - M Manzella
- Bostion Scientific, Valencia, CA 91355, United States
| | - M Hogan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - P J Horner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - A H Faraji
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - D G Sayenko
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
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Losanno E, Badi M, Roussinova E, Bogaard A, Delacombaz M, Shokur S, Micera S. An Investigation of Manifold-Based Direct Control for a Brain-to-Body Neural Bypass. IEEE OPEN JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 5:271-280. [PMID: 38766541 PMCID: PMC11100864 DOI: 10.1109/ojemb.2024.3381475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective: Brain-body interfaces (BBIs) have emerged as a very promising solution for restoring voluntary hand control in people with upper-limb paralysis. The BBI module decoding motor commands from brain signals should provide the user with intuitive, accurate, and stable control. Here, we present a preliminary investigation in a monkey of a brain decoding strategy based on the direct coupling between the activity of intrinsic neural ensembles and output variables, aiming at achieving ease of learning and long-term robustness. Results: We identified an intrinsic low-dimensional space (called manifold) capturing the co-variation patterns of the monkey's neural activity associated to reach-to-grasp movements. We then tested the animal's ability to directly control a computer cursor using cortical activation along the manifold axes. By daily recalibrating only scaling factors, we achieved rapid learning and stable high performance in simple, incremental 2D tasks over more than 12 weeks of experiments. Finally, we showed that this brain decoding strategy can be effectively coupled to peripheral nerve stimulation to trigger voluntary hand movements. Conclusions: These results represent a proof of concept of manifold-based direct control for BBI applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Losanno
- The Biorobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AIScuola Superiore Sant'Anna56025PisaItaly
- Modular Implantable Neuroprostheses (MINE) LaboratoryUniversità Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Scuola Superiore Sant'AnnaMilanItaly
| | - M. Badi
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of BioengineeringÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - E. Roussinova
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of BioengineeringÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - A. Bogaard
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, Platform of Translational Neurosciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences and MedicineUniversity of Fribourg1700FribourgSwitzerland
| | - M. Delacombaz
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, Platform of Translational Neurosciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences and MedicineUniversity of Fribourg1700FribourgSwitzerland
| | - S. Shokur
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of BioengineeringÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - S. Micera
- The Biorobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AIScuola Superiore Sant'Anna56025PisaItaly
- Modular Implantable Neuroprostheses (MINE) LaboratoryUniversità Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Scuola Superiore Sant'AnnaMilanItaly
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of BioengineeringÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1015LausanneSwitzerland
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Tian Y, Yin J, Wang C, He Z, Xie J, Feng X, Zhou Y, Ma T, Xie Y, Li X, Yang T, Ren C, Li C, Zhao Z. An Ultraflexible Electrode Array for Large-Scale Chronic Recording in the Nonhuman Primate Brain. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302333. [PMID: 37870175 PMCID: PMC10667845 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Single-unit (SU) recording in nonhuman primates (NHPs) is indispensible in the quest of how the brain works, yet electrodes currently used for the NHP brain are limited in signal longevity, stability, and spatial coverage. Using new structural materials, microfabrication, and penetration techniques, we develop a mechanically robust ultraflexible, 1 µm thin electrode array (MERF) that enables pial penetration and high-density, large-scale, and chronic recording of neurons along both vertical and horizontal cortical axes in the nonhuman primate brain. Recording from three monkeys yields 2,913 SUs from 1,065 functional recording channels (up to 240 days), with some SUs tracked for up to 2 months. Recording from the primary visual cortex (V1) reveals that neurons with similar orientation preferences for visual stimuli exhibited higher spike correlation. Furthermore, simultaneously recorded neurons in different cortical layers of the primary motor cortex (M1) show preferential firing for hand movements of different directions. Finally, it is shown that a linear decoder trained with neuronal spiking activity across M1 layers during monkey's hand movements can be used to achieve on-line control of cursor movement. Thus, the MERF electrode array offers a new tool for basic neuroscience studies and brain-machine interface (BMI) applications in the primate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Tian
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Jiapeng Yin
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain‐Inspired TechnologyShanghai201602China
- Lingang LaboratoryShanghai200031China
| | - Chengyao Wang
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Zhenliang He
- Lingang LaboratoryShanghai200031China
- Institute of NeuroscienceState Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Jingyi Xie
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Xiaoshan Feng
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Tianyu Ma
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yang Xie
- Lingang LaboratoryShanghai200031China
- Institute of NeuroscienceKey Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Xue Li
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Tianming Yang
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Chi Ren
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Chengyu Li
- Lingang LaboratoryShanghai200031China
- Institute of NeuroscienceState Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Zhengtuo Zhao
- Institute of NeuroscienceCenter for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
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Pellot-Cestero JE, Herring EZ, Graczyk EL, Memberg WD, Kirsch RF, Ajiboye AB, Miller JP. Implanted Electrodes for Functional Electrical Stimulation to Restore Upper and Lower Extremity Function: History and Future Directions. Neurosurgery 2023; 93:965-970. [PMID: 37288972 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) to activate nerves and muscles in paralyzed extremities has considerable promise to improve outcome after neurological disease or injury, especially in individuals who have upper motor nerve dysfunction due to central nervous system pathology. Because technology has improved, a wide variety of methods for providing electrical stimulation to create functional movements have been developed, including muscle stimulating electrodes, nerve stimulating electrodes, and hybrid constructs. However, in spite of decades of success in experimental settings with clear functional improvements for individuals with paralysis, the technology has not yet reached widespread clinical translation. In this review, we outline the history of FES techniques and approaches and describe future directions in evolution of the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel E Pellot-Cestero
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Eric Z Herring
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Emily L Graczyk
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Rehab. R&D Service, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - William D Memberg
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Rehab. R&D Service, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Robert F Kirsch
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Rehab. R&D Service, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - A Bolu Ajiboye
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Rehab. R&D Service, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
| | - Jonathan P Miller
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neurological Institute, University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FES Center of Excellence, Rehab. R&D Service, Cleveland , Ohio , USA
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10
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Bryson N, Lombardi L, Hawthorn R, Fei J, Keesey R, Peiffer J, Seáñez I. Enhanced selectivity of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation by multielectrode configuration. J Neural Eng 2023; 20:10.1088/1741-2552/ace552. [PMID: 37419109 PMCID: PMC10481387 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ace552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Objective.Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has been gaining momentum as a non-invasive rehabilitation approach to restore movement to paralyzed muscles after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its low selectivity limits the types of movements that can be enabled and, thus, its potential applications in rehabilitation.Approach.In this cross-over study design, we investigated whether muscle recruitment selectivity of individual muscles could be enhanced by multielectrode configurations of tSCS in 16 neurologically intact individuals. We hypothesized that due to the segmental innervation of lower limb muscles, we could identify muscle-specific optimal stimulation locations that would enable improved recruitment selectivity over conventional tSCS. We elicited leg muscle responses by delivering biphasic pulses of electrical stimulation to the lumbosacral enlargement using conventional and multielectrode tSCS.Results.Analysis of recruitment curve responses confirmed that multielectrode configurations could improve the rostrocaudal and lateral selectivity of tSCS. To investigate whether motor responses elicited by spatially selective tSCS were mediated by posterior root-muscle reflexes, each stimulation event was a paired pulse with a conditioning-test interval of 33.3 ms. Muscle responses to the second stimulation pulse were significantly suppressed, a characteristic of post-activation depression suggesting that spatially selective tSCS recruits proprioceptive fibers that reflexively activate muscle-specific motor neurons in the spinal cord. Moreover, the combination of leg muscle recruitment probability and segmental innervation maps revealed a stereotypical spinal activation map in congruence with each electrode's position.Significance. Improvements in muscle recruitment selectivity could be essential for the effective translation into stimulation protocols that selectively enhance single-joint movements in neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Bryson
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Lorenzo Lombardi
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Rachel Hawthorn
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Jie Fei
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Rodolfo Keesey
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - J.D. Peiffer
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University
| | - Ismael Seáñez
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
- Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
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11
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Pinheiro DJLL, Faber J, Micera S, Shokur S. Human-machine interface for two-dimensional steering control with the auricular muscles. Front Neurorobot 2023; 17:1154427. [PMID: 37342389 PMCID: PMC10277645 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2023.1154427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Human-machine interfaces (HMIs) can be used to decode a user's motor intention to control an external device. People that suffer from motor disabilities, such as spinal cord injury, can benefit from the uses of these interfaces. While many solutions can be found in this direction, there is still room for improvement both from a decoding, hardware, and subject-motor learning perspective. Here we show, in a series of experiments with non-disabled participants, a novel decoding and training paradigm allowing naïve participants to use their auricular muscles (AM) to control two degrees of freedom with a virtual cursor. AMs are particularly interesting because they are vestigial muscles and are often preserved after neurological diseases. Our method relies on the use of surface electromyographic records and the use of contraction levels of both AMs to modulate the velocity and direction of a cursor in a two-dimensional paradigm. We used a locking mechanism to fix the current position of each axis separately to enable the user to stop the cursor at a certain location. A five-session training procedure (20-30 min per session) with a 2D center-out task was performed by five volunteers. All participants increased their success rate (Initial: 52.78 ± 5.56%; Final: 72.22 ± 6.67%; median ± median absolute deviation) and their trajectory performances throughout the training. We implemented a dual task with visual distractors to assess the mental challenge of controlling while executing another task; our results suggest that the participants could perform the task in cognitively demanding conditions (success rate of 66.67 ± 5.56%). Finally, using the Nasa Task Load Index questionnaire, we found that participants reported lower mental demand and effort in the last two sessions. To summarize, all subjects could learn to control the movement of a cursor with two degrees of freedom using their AM, with a low impact on the cognitive load. Our study is a first step in developing AM-based decoders for HMIs for people with motor disabilities, such as spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. L. L. Pinheiro
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Neuroengineering and Neurocognition Laboratory, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Translational Neural Engineering Lab, Institute Neuro X, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean Faber
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Neuroengineering and Neurocognition Laboratory, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Silvestro Micera
- Translational Neural Engineering Lab, Institute Neuro X, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Institute of BioRobotics Interdisciplinary Health Center, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Solaiman Shokur
- Translational Neural Engineering Lab, Institute Neuro X, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
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12
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Ciotti F, Cimolato A, Valle G, Raspopovic S. Design of an adaptable intrafascicular electrode (AIR) for selective nerve stimulation by model-based optimization. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011184. [PMID: 37228174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral nerve stimulation is being investigated as a therapeutic tool in several clinical scenarios. However, the adopted devices have restricted ability to obtain desired outcomes with tolerable off-target effects. Recent promising solutions are not yet employed in clinical practice due to complex required surgeries, lack of long-term stability, and implant invasiveness. Here, we aimed to design a neural interface to address these issues, specifically dimensioned for pudendal and sacral nerves to potentially target sexual, bladder, or bowel dysfunctions. We designed the adaptable intrafascicular radial electrode (AIR) through realistic computational models. They account for detailed human anatomy, inhomogeneous anisotropic conductance, following the trajectories of axons along curving and branching fascicles, and detailed biophysics of axons. The model was validated against available experimental data. Thanks to computationally efficient geometry-based selectivity estimations we informed the electrode design, optimizing its dimensions to obtain the highest selectivity while maintaining low invasiveness. We then compared the AIR with state-of-the-art electrodes, namely InterStim leads, multipolar cuffs and transversal intrafascicular multichannel electrodes (TIME). AIR, comprising a flexible substrate, surface active sites, and radially inserted intrafascicular needles, is designed to be implanted in a few standard steps, potentially enabling fast implants. It holds potential for repeatable stimulation outcomes thanks to its radial structural symmetry. When compared in-silico, AIR consistently outperformed cuff electrodes and InterStim leads in terms of recruitment threshold and stimulation selectivity. AIR performed similarly or better than a TIME, with quantified less invasiveness. Finally, we showed how AIR can adapt to different nerve sizes and varying shapes while maintaining high selectivity. The AIR electrode shows the potential to fill a clinical need for an effective peripheral nerve interface. Its high predicted performance in all the identified requirements was enabled by a model-based approach, readily applicable for the optimization of electrode parameters in any peripheral nerve stimulation scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Ciotti
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Cimolato
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Giacomo Valle
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stanisa Raspopovic
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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13
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Stieglitz T, Gueli C, Martens J, Floto N, Eickenscheidt M, Sporer M, Ortmanns M. Highly conformable chip-in-foil implants for neural applications. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:54. [PMID: 37180455 PMCID: PMC10167239 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00527-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Demands for neural interfaces around functionality, high spatial resolution, and longevity have recently increased. These requirements can be met with sophisticated silicon-based integrated circuits. Embedding miniaturized dice in flexible polymer substrates significantly improves their adaptation to the mechanical environment in the body, thus improving the systems' structural biocompatibility and ability to cover larger areas of the brain. This work addresses the main challenges in developing a hybrid chip-in-foil neural implant. Assessments considered (1) the mechanical compliance to the recipient tissue that allows a long-term application and (2) the suitable design that allows the implant's scaling and modular adaptation of chip arrangement. Finite element model studies were performed to identify design rules regarding die geometry, interconnect routing, and positions for contact pads on dice. Providing edge fillets in the die base shape proved an effective measure to improve die-substrate integrity and increase the area available for contact pads. Furthermore, routing of interconnects in the immediate vicinity of die corners should be avoided, as the substrate in these areas is prone to mechanical stress concentration. Contact pads on dice should be placed with a clearance from the die rim to avoid delamination when the implant conforms to a curvilinear body. A microfabrication process was developed to transfer, align, and electrically interconnect multiple dice into conformable polyimide-based substrates. The process enabled arbitrary die shape and size over independent target positions on the conformable substrate based on the die position on the fabrication wafer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Stieglitz
- Laboratory for Biomedical Microtechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering - IMTEK, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
- BrainLinks-BrainTools// IMBIT, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Calogero Gueli
- Laboratory for Biomedical Microtechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering - IMTEK, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julien Martens
- Laboratory for Biomedical Microtechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering - IMTEK, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
- BrainLinks-BrainTools// IMBIT, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Niklas Floto
- Laboratory for Biomedical Microtechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering - IMTEK, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
- BrainLinks-BrainTools// IMBIT, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Max Eickenscheidt
- Laboratory for Biomedical Microtechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering - IMTEK, University of Freiburg, D-79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus Sporer
- Institute of Microelectronics, University of Ulm, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Maurits Ortmanns
- Institute of Microelectronics, University of Ulm, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
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14
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Bryson N, Lombardi L, Hawthorn R, Fei J, Keesey R, Peiffer JD, Seáñez I. Enhanced selectivity of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation by multielectrode configuration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.30.534835. [PMID: 37034788 PMCID: PMC10081184 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.30.534835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Objective Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has been gaining momentum as a non-invasive rehabilitation approach to restore movement to paralyzed muscles after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its low selectivity limits the types of movements that can be enabled and, thus, its potential applications in rehabilitation. Approach In this cross-over study design, we investigated whether muscle recruitment selectivity of individual muscles could be enhanced by multielectrode configurations of tSCS in 16 neurologically intact individuals. We hypothesized that due to the segmental innervation of lower limb muscles, we could identify muscle-specific optimal stimulation locations that would enable improved recruitment selectivity over conventional tSCS. We elicited leg muscle responses by delivering biphasic pulses of electrical stimulation to the lumbosacral enlargement using conventional and multielectrode tSCS. Results Analysis of recruitment curve responses confirmed that multielectrode configurations could improve the rostrocaudal and lateral selectivity of tSCS. To investigate whether motor responses elicited by spatially selective tSCS were mediated by posterior root-muscle reflexes, each stimulation event was a paired pulse with a conditioning-test interval of 33.3 ms. Muscle responses to the second stimulation pulse were significantly suppressed, a characteristic of post-activation depression suggesting that spatially selective tSCS recruits proprioceptive fibers that reflexively activate muscle-specific motor neurons in the spinal cord. Moreover, the combination of leg muscle recruitment probability and segmental innervation maps revealed a stereotypical spinal activation map in congruence with each electrode's position. Significance Improvements in muscle recruitment selectivity could be essential for the effective translation into stimulation protocols that selectively enhance single-joint movements in neurorehabilitation.
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15
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Kronsteiner B, Haberbusch M, Aigner P, Kramer AM, Pilz PM, Podesser BK, Kiss A, Moscato F. A novel ex-vivo isolated rabbit heart preparation to explore the cardiac effects of cervical and cardiac vagus nerve stimulation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4214. [PMID: 36918673 PMCID: PMC10014867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31135-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The cardiac responses to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are still not fully understood, partly due to uncontrollable confounders in the in-vivo experimental condition. Therefore, an ex-vivo Langendorff-perfused rabbit heart with intact vagal innervation is proposed to study VNS in absence of cofounding anesthetic or autonomic influences. The feasibility to evoke chronotropic responses through electrical stimulation ex-vivo was studied in innervated isolated rabbit hearts (n = 6). The general nerve excitability was assessed through the ability to evoke a heart rate (HR) reduction of at least 5 bpm (physiological threshold). The excitability was quantified as the charge needed for a 10-bpm HR reduction. The results were compared to a series of in-vivo experiments rabbits (n = 5). In the ex-vivo isolated heart, the baseline HR was about 20 bpm lower than in-vivo (158 ± 11 bpm vs 181 ± 19 bpm). Overall, the nerve remained excitable for about 5 h ex-vivo. The charges required to reduce HR by 5 bpm were 9 ± 6 µC and 549 ± 370 µC, ex-vivo and in-vivo, respectively. The charges needed for a 10-bpm HR reduction, normalized to the physiological threshold were 1.78 ± 0.8 and 1.22 ± 0.1, in-vivo and ex-vivo, respectively. Overall, the viability of this ex-vivo model to study the acute cardiac effects of VNS was demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Kronsteiner
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Max Haberbusch
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Aigner
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anne-Margarethe Kramer
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick M Pilz
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bruno K Podesser
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Attila Kiss
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Francesco Moscato
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Engineering, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Bergeron D, Iorio-Morin C, Bonizzato M, Lajoie G, Orr Gaucher N, Racine É, Weil AG. Use of Invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces in Pediatric Neurosurgery: Technical and Ethical Considerations. J Child Neurol 2023; 38:223-238. [PMID: 37116888 PMCID: PMC10226009 DOI: 10.1177/08830738231167736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Invasive brain-computer interfaces hold promise to alleviate disabilities in individuals with neurologic injury, with fully implantable brain-computer interface systems expected to reach the clinic in the upcoming decade. Children with severe neurologic disabilities, like quadriplegic cerebral palsy or cervical spine trauma, could benefit from this technology. However, they have been excluded from clinical trials of intracortical brain-computer interface to date. In this manuscript, we discuss the ethical considerations related to the use of invasive brain-computer interface in children with severe neurologic disabilities. We first review the technical hardware and software considerations for the application of intracortical brain-computer interface in children. We then discuss ethical issues related to motor brain-computer interface use in pediatric neurosurgery. Finally, based on the input of a multidisciplinary panel of experts in fields related to brain-computer interface (functional and restorative neurosurgery, pediatric neurosurgery, mathematics and artificial intelligence research, neuroengineering, pediatric ethics, and pragmatic ethics), we then formulate initial recommendations regarding the clinical use of invasive brain-computer interfaces in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bergeron
- Division of Neurosurgery, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Marco Bonizzato
- Electrical Engineering Department, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Neuroscience Department and Centre
interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l’apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Guillaume Lajoie
- Mathematics and Statistics Department, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Mila - Québec AI Institute, Montréal,
Québec, Canada
| | - Nathalie Orr Gaucher
- Department of Pediatric Emergency
Medicine, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Bureau de l’Éthique clinique, Faculté
de médecine de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Éric Racine
- Pragmatic Research Unit, Institute de
Recherche Clinique de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Medicine and Department
of Social and Preventative Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alexander G. Weil
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department
of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Département de
Pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Brain and Development Research Axis,
CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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17
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Losanno E, Badi M, Wurth S, Borgognon S, Courtine G, Capogrosso M, Rouiller EM, Micera S. Bayesian optimization of peripheral intraneural stimulation protocols to evoke distal limb movements. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34874320 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac3f6c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Motor neuroprostheses require the identification of stimulation protocols that effectively produce desired movements. Manual search for these protocols can be very time-consuming and often leads to suboptimal solutions, as several stimulation parameters must be personalized for each subject for a variety of target motor functions. Here, we present an algorithm that efficiently tunes peripheral intraneural stimulation protocols to elicit functionally relevant distal limb movements.Approach.We developed the algorithm using Bayesian optimization (BO) with multi-output Gaussian Processes (GPs) and defined objective functions based on coordinated muscle recruitment. We applied the algorithm offline to data acquired in rats for walking control and in monkeys for hand grasping control and compared different GP models for these two systems. We then performed a preliminary online test in a monkey to experimentally validate the functionality of our method.Main results.Offline, optimal intraneural stimulation protocols for various target motor functions were rapidly identified in both experimental scenarios. Using the model that performed best, the algorithm converged to stimuli that evoked functionally consistent movements with an average number of actions equal to 20% of the search space size in both the rat and monkey animal models. Online, the algorithm quickly guided the observations to stimuli that elicited functional hand gestures, although more selective motor outputs could have been achieved by refining the objective function used.Significance.These results demonstrate that BO can reliably and efficiently automate the tuning of peripheral neurostimulation protocols, establishing a translational framework to configure peripheral motor neuroprostheses in clinical applications. The proposed method can also potentially be applied to optimize motor functions using other stimulation modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Losanno
- The Biorobotics Institute and Department of Excellent in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Badi
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - S Wurth
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - S Borgognon
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, Platform of Translational Neurosciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Center for Neuroprosthetics and BrainMind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Eécole Polytechnique Feédeérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - G Courtine
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and BrainMind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Eécole Polytechnique Feédeérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Defitech Center for Interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore), EPFL, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - M Capogrosso
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Rehabilitation and Neural Engineering Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - E M Rouiller
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, Platform of Translational Neurosciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - S Micera
- The Biorobotics Institute and Department of Excellent in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.,Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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18
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Vomero M, Schiavone G. Biomedical Microtechnologies Beyond Scholarly Impact. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12121471. [PMID: 34945320 PMCID: PMC8709221 DOI: 10.3390/mi12121471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The recent tremendous advances in medical technology at the level of academic research have set high expectations for the clinical outcomes they promise to deliver. To the demise of patient hopes, however, the more disruptive and invasive a new technology is, the bigger the gap is separating the conceptualization of a medical device and its adoption into healthcare systems. When technology breakthroughs are reported in the biomedical scientific literature, news focus typically lies on medical implications rather than engineering progress, as the former are of higher appeal to a general readership. While successful therapy and diagnostics are indeed the ultimate goals, it is of equal importance to expose the engineering thinking needed to achieve such results and, critically, identify the challenges that still lie ahead. Here, we would like to provoke thoughts on the following questions, with particular focus on microfabricated medical devices: should research advancing the maturity and reliability of medical technology benefit from higher accessibility and visibility? How can the scientific community encourage and reward academic work on the overshadowed engineering aspects that will facilitate the evolution of laboratory samples into clinical devices?
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vomero
- BioEE Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA;
| | - Giuseppe Schiavone
- Research Management & Innovation Directorate, King’s College London, Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
- Correspondence:
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