Frontiers of Engineering Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2001 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering (2002) / Chapter Skim
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Reengineering the Paralyzed Nervous Systems
Reengineering the Paralyzed Nervous Systems
Pages 91-98
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From page 91... ...
When the difference across the membrane reaches a sufficient level, an action potential is generated that propagates along the axon in both directions from its point of origin. This fundamental principle, called "gating" the membrane potential, is the basis for restoring function to the nervous system by electrical activation.
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From page 92... ...
These include devices for restoring hand function, controlling bladder and bowel function, controlling respiration in spinal cord injuries, suppressing seizures in epilepsy, suppressing tremors in Parkinson's disease, and restoring audition for people with hearing loss. Clinical research is being done on human subjects to enable patients to stand and walk, swallow, control the anal sphincter, and see.
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From page 93... ...
A sufficient charge must be directed across the nerve membrane to depolarize it and generate action potentials, without generating toxic species in sufficient quantities to cause damage. Destruction (necrosis)
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From page 94... ...
Electrical activation can effectively reverse this "disuse atrophy" to increase the fatigue resistance of paralyzed muscles. Technological Considerations The fundamental technology in systems for neuroprosthetic devices includes stimulators, electrodes, sensors, and the lead wires or communication channels that connect them.
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From page 95... ...
Acceptable function may be less than full, normal function. RESTORING UPPER LIMB FUNCTION The focus of our work has been on a neuroprosthesis to restore hand and arm function (Figure 1)
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From page 96... ...
Activating the external switch again sets a hold command, which maintains the stimulus level even if the wrist position changes. Other switch commands allow the user to regain control, reset zero, reset hold, or turn the system off.
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From page 97... ...
New technology will provide tools for the development of more precise interfaces with the damaged nervous system leading to even more significant clinical results. We have already made progress in this direction by showing that afferent signals recorded from the nerves innervating the bladder during filling could be used to help control bladder activity.
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From page 98... ...
Electrical stimulation is a powerful tool that will continue to be an essential aspect of new devices to mitigate the effects of disabling central nervous system conditions. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research described in this article was supported in large part by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke Neural Prosthesis Program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service.
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