Intraspinal microstimulation for resturing hand movement in the patient with spinal cord injury

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560294
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: SEKI Kazuhiko 独立行政法人国立精神・神経医療研究センター, 神経研究所 モデル動物開発研究部, 部長 (00226630)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 脊髄刺激 / 霊長類 / 機能再建 / 初期位置

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, first, we developped a method to implant array stimululation electrode in the spinal cord of monkey and confirmed it manufests the exerted muscle force by temporal and spacial summation. Then, we examined the position effect of stimulation result. Proper execution of voluntary movement requires a sensorimotor transformation based on the initial limb state. To test if this transformation could occur at the spinal level, we stimulated the cervical spinal cord of anesthetized monkeys while systematically changing initial posture and examined the modulation of the twitch response induced in the upper limb muscles.Results suggest that excitability in the cervical spinal cord is affected by initial arm posture through spinal reflex pathways. This posture-dependency of spinal motor output could affect voluntary arm movement by adjusting descending motor commands relative to the initial arm posture.

Free Research Field

神経生理学