Restoring arm function in people with paralysis
The goal of this project is to improve the independence of people with arm paralysis by enabling functional movement using electrical muscle stimulation. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is an assistive and rehabilitation technology whereby low-level electrical signals are used to induce muscle contraction where voluntary control has been lost. Such muscle contractions can strengthen the muscle, load the bones, or produce functional movement in people with paralysis.
In the lower limb, FES technology is used to prevent foot drop during gait in post-stroke hemiplegia. In the upper limb, FES is much less widely used due to the highly selective nature of the movements that users want to perform, as well as the significant variability in motor deficits that exist in people with spinal injuries. This makes the control of any stimulation system very challenging.
In this project, we are working with clinical engineers and spinal injuries specialists to develop efficient methods for personalising an FES system to allow people with cervical spinal cord injuries to control their own arm movements.
Biomechanical models, customised to represent the functional limitations due to an injury, are used to predict the effects of electrical stimulation on the paralysed arm. In this way, we can optimise system set up and control (which muscles to stimulate and when) to achieve a desired set of tasks for an individual to help them regain their independence.
Dr Chadwick briefly explains this in the video below:
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Latest news
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Upcoming conference attendance
We are pleased to announce that we will be attending the 62nd International Spinal Cord Society Annual Scientific Meeting (ISCoS 2023) in Edinburgh in October. We will be presenting some of the work as part of the workshop on ‘The state of the art in restoration of upper limb function for tetraplegic patients’.
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New project website
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