PREPARATORY ADJUSTMENTS FOR IMPROVED STANDING WITH FNS

描述：（改编自研究者摘要）本研究的长期目标 研究是开发实用的功能性神经肌肉刺激（FNS） 用于恢复神经受损个体的运动功能的系统。 FNS已被用于恢复人的站立，行走和机动能力 脊髓损伤（SCI）和其他神经系统疾病， 下肢功能研究结果令人鼓舞，但较低 四肢FNS系统尚未被证明是临床可行的，主要是由于 已经恢复的有限的功能。 研究人员将开发和评估一个系统，提供FNS 系统用户能够进行两种类型的准备调整之前， 执行任务：用户将首先将他们的脚放在合适的位置 然后用户将调整他们的姿势（即， （相对于脚）。站立时脚的正确位置 还没有得到很好的表征，也没有在FNS控制中得到利用 系统设计大部分的努力将用于 调查足部放置的作用，并开发技术，以实现 FNS站姿时适当的足部位置。将设施纳入 调整姿势，一旦脚到位，调查人员将利用 并在他们不断努力的基础上， 实现在线姿势调整的技术。 在这个项目完成后，他们计划成功地开发和 实施了一种新的控制系统，用于在FNS中进行预调整 并已证明其所提供的功能优势， 系统为此，他们建议采取协调一致的努力， 详细的生物力学模型的计算机模拟， 身体健全的人，以及几组脊髓损伤的实验 使用FNS系统站立的受试者。

DESCRIPTION: (adapted from Investigator's abstract) The long term goals of this research is to develop practical Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation (FNS) systems for restoring motor function in neurologically-impaired individuals. FNS has been used to restore the ability to stand, step and maneuver in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and other neurological disorders that impair lower extremity function. Research results have been encouraging, but lower extremity FNS systems have not yet proven to be clinically viable primarily due to the limited degree of function that has been restored. The investigators will develop and evaluate a system that provides the FNS system user the ability to make two types of preparatory adjustments prior to performing a task: the user will first place their feet in a suitable location and then the user will adjust their posture (i.e. adjust the location of the pelvis with respect to the feet). The role of proper foot placement in standing has not been well characterized, nor has it been exploited in FNS control system design. The majority of the effort will be directed towards investigating the role of foot placement and developing techniques to achieve suitable foot placement in FNS stance. To incorporate the facility for adjusting posture once the feet are in place, the investigators will utilize and build upon the results of their on-going efforts in which they are implementing techniques for on-line postural adjustments. At the completion of this project, they plan to have successfully developed and implemented a novel control system for making preparatory adjustments in FNS standing and to have demonstrated the functional benefits provided by this system. Towards this end, they propose a coordinated effort that will utilize computer simulations with detailed biomechanical models, experiments on able-bodied individuals, and several sets of experiments on spinal cord injured subjects who are standing using FNS systems.