Neuro-rehabilitation using Artificial Neural Connection

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H01818
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (2017); Kyoto University (2015-2016)
• Principal Investigator: NISHIMURA Yukio 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 認知症・高次脳機能研究分野, プロジェクトリーダー (20390693)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: リハビリテーション / トランスレーショナルリサーチ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Regaining the function of an impaired limb is highly desirable in individuals experiencing paralysis due to spinal cord injury and stroke. We documents volitionally-controlled, non-invasive stimulation to preserved spinal circuits can regain voluntary gait control in paraplegic individuals. Another series of study that is aim to elucidate neuronal mechanisms of regaining lost function using closed-loop stimulation, we demonstrated that monkeys with stroke were able to learn to use a brain-controlled electrical stimulation to the muscles, to regain volitional control of a hand. In a targeted manner, this closed-loop stimulation induced an adaptive change of cortical activities throughout an extensive cortical area. Thus, the closed-loop stimulation imparted a new function for limb control to a connected cortical site and triggered cortical adaptation in order to regain impaired motor function after neural damage.

Free Research Field

神経生理学