STIMULATION SYSTEM FOR CONTROL OF THE PARALYZED HAND IN THE C5/C6 INJURY

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This study is to evaluate the performance of an implantable stimulator system designed to provide activation and control of the paralyzed upper extremity in high level spinal cord injury (tetraplegic) patients. The significance of this work is that functional neuromuscular stimulation may provide tetraplegic subjects with manipulative capabilities unavailable by alternative means. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) hardware has been developed to provide palmar and lateral prehension/release. The research plan is to deploy this hardware to appropriately selected tetraplegic subjects, and to assess whether the devices provide them with function beyond that which can be employed by conventional orthotics. Enhancements designed to expand the basic FES hand system's function also are being assessed, including incorporating the intrinsic hand muscles into the hand grasp and the use of an implantable joint angle transducer (IJAT) to provide command/control.