Restoration of Proprioceptive and Cutaneous Sensation Using Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces in Humans with Upper Limb Amputations.
Restoration of Proprioceptive and Cutaneous Sensation Using Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces in Humans with Upper Limb Amputations.
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DOI：
10.1097/prs.0000000000009153
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发表时间：
2022-06-01
影响因子：
3.6
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中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
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Without meaningful and intuitive sensory feedback, even the most advanced prosthetic limbs remain insensate and impose an enormous cognitive burden during use. The Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) can serve as a novel bidirectional motor and sensory neuroprosthetic interface. In previous human studies, RPNIs demonstrated stable high-amplitude motor EMG signals with excellent signal-to-noise ratio for prosthetic control. In addition, RPNIs can treat and prevent post-amputation pain by mitigating neuroma formation. In this study, we investigate whether electrical stimulation applied to RPNIs could produce appreciable proprioceptive and/or tactile sensations in two participants with upper-limb amputations. Stimulation of the RPNIs resulted in both participants reporting proprioceptive sensations in the phantom hand. Specifically, stimulation of Participant 1’s median nerve RPNI activated a flexion sensation in the thumb or index finger, whereas stimulation of the ulnar nerve RPNI evoked a flexion sensation of the ring or small finger. Likewise, stimulation of one of Participant 2’s ulnar nerve RPNIs produced a sensation of flexion at the ring finger distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint. In addition, stimulation of Participant 2’s other ulnar nerve RPNI and the median nerve RPNI resulted in perceived cutaneous sensations that corresponded to each nerve’s respective dermatome. These results suggest that RPNIs have the potential to restore proprioceptive and cutaneous sensory feedback that could significantly improve prosthesis use and embodiment.
