effects of sacral surface electrical stimulation on locomotive activities in human

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H02999
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Handa Yasunobu 東北大学, 医学系研究科, 名誉教授 (00111790)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 関 和則 東北大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (20206618)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MITSUHASHI Kousei 昭和大学, 保健医療学部, 講師 (20747589) ; HUTAMI Ryoukou 福島大学, 共生システム理工学類, 教授 (20156938) ; YOSHIZAWA Makoto 東北大学, サイバーサイエンスセンター, 教授 (60166931) ; SUGITA Norihiro 東北大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (90396458)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 仙骨表面電気刺激 / 歩行機能推進 / 足こぎ車いす / ニューロモジュレーション / CPG

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the propulsive effect on walking and walking wheelchair (C - WC) drive by sacral surface electrical stimulation (SES). As a result, the maximum locomotion speed increased significantly in both healthy and walking disabled people. Here, muscle discharge of hamstring muscle and gastrocnemius muscle increased, and in C - WC driving, an increase in torque of hip joint extension and knee joint flexion was recognized, and it was considered to contribute to the promotion effect of SES.
When SES was given to stroke hemiplegics during C - WC driving, the unevenness of the depression acceleration of both lower limbs was immediately equalized. This indicates that contraction process of the paralyzed limb muscles approaches normal. From the above results, it was considered that SES caused neuromodulation effect on the central nervous system networks related to locomotion by its afferent neural activities.

Free Research Field

生体医工学