Designing properties of nanofiber yarns and textile structures in garments as a tool to modify neural pathways and treat weakness post stroke.

该奖学金提案建立在博士研究的基础上，设计了日常熟悉服装中的纱线和新颖的“珠”结构，以促进上肢（UL）从神经缺陷中恢复的功能变化;特别是中风后UL虚弱。它旨在开发世界领先的研究定位服装，作为神经治疗的高效应用，响应医疗和社会需求，改善治疗转化为日常生活。通过采用STEAM议程，它将材料科学，中风康复与技术时尚/纺织品专业知识相结合。改善中风后UL恢复是一个主要的临床目标。目前，高达75%的幸存者有持续的弱点，目前该系统提供的服务不足;方法未能达到约240%的最低培训准则。目前的治疗往往是原始的，缺乏原则性的理解，锻炼计划难以维持，无法适应个人的生活方式选择和行为。肌梭传入是运动系统的主要感觉输入，感知肌肉的长度和长度变化率。这个信号对我们的本体感觉至关重要，它告诉我们四肢在空间中的位置。MSA可以用尖锐的机械敲击人工激活。产生这种精确定时的MSA激活会向大脑和脊髓注入强大的信号。这可以激活可能立即有用的回路-例如，促进虚弱的肌肉，或抑制过度活跃并产生无益的共同收缩的肌肉。MSA激活也可以与其他刺激（例如声音）配对;然后，可以控制刺激之间的间隔，以调节刺激后长期塑性变化的诱导。目前，大多数方法使用电刺激来激活用于这些目的的感觉神经，但这是非选择性地激活皮肤（皮肤触觉）神经以及肌梭。我们的目标是通过提高MSA激活的精确度和控制来开发新的基于纺织品的治疗中风后虚弱的方法。在恢复过程中尽早放置这种方法可以防止/减少进一步缺陷的影响。珠粒能够通过以当前振动设备无法实现的方式靶向MSA来操纵正在申请专利的压电特性来修改神经通路。它在纺织结构中的轻松整合利用了服装与人体的定期亲密接触;提供了重新考虑公共和私人环境之间康复的交付和定位的机会。为了做到这一点，要考虑对“正常”身体行为的感知以及服装和我们的身份如何影响我们在世界上的熟悉程度。该研究金采取高度多学科的办法。它与幸存者和利益攸关方合作，开发样品，使用设计探测工具包进行穿戴者测试和预分析，绘制参与者的现有行为与服装，康复和电生理和材料表征数据的虚弱程度。独立审查将记录服装和“医疗设备”相结合的影响，而身体扫描和动作捕捉将被用来模拟纺织品结构的有效性之前，采样。这一数字预计在未来20年内将增长123%。提供易于使用且适合生活方式的有效治疗是重中之重。该奖学金将建立一个世界领先的研究实验室，专注于在日常服装中提供有影响力的非侵入性神经治疗。

This fellowship proposal builds on doctoral research designing nanofiber yarns and novel 'bead' structures within everyday, familiar garments to contribute to functional changes in upper limb (UL) recovery from neurological deficits; specifically post stroke UL weakness. It aims to develop world-leading research positioning garments as highly effective applications of neurological treatments, which are responsive to medical and social needs, improving the translation of treatments into routine everyday life. By employing a STEAM agenda it combines material science, stroke rehabilitation with technical fashion/ textiles expertise. Improving UL recovery post stroke represents a major clinical goal. Currently up to 75% of survivors have persisting weakness and are currently underserved by the system; with methods failing to achieve the minimum guidelines of training required by around 240%. Current treatments are often primitive and lack a principled understanding, with exercise programmes being difficult to maintain and failing to accommodate lifestyle choices and behaviours of the individual. Muscle spindle afferents (MSA) are a major sensory input to the motor system, sensing the length and rate-of-change of length of muscles. This signal is vital to our sense of proprioception, telling us where the limbs are located in space. MSA can be activated artificially with a sharp mechanical tap. Generating such precisely-timed activation of MSA injects a powerful signal into the brain and spinal cord. This can activate circuits which may be immediately helpful - for example, in facilitating a weak muscle, or suppressing one which is overactive and generating an unhelpful co-contraction. MSA activation can also be paired with other stimuli (e.g. sound); then, the interval between stimuli can be controlled to modulate the induction of long-term plastic changes outlasting the stimulus. At present, most methods use electrical stimulation to activate sensory nerves for these purposes, but this is non-selective activating both cutaneous (skin tactile) nerves, as well as muscle spindles. The goal is to develop novel familiar textile-based methods of treating post stroke weakness by enhancing the precision and control of MSA activation. Placed early enough in recovery this method may prevent/ reduce the effects of further deficits.The bead enables the modification of neural pathways through the manipulation of patent pending piezoelectric properties by targeting the MSA in ways which current vibrational devices cannot achieve. The ease of its integration within textile structures takes advantage of the regular, intimate contact that a garment holds with the human body; presenting an opportunity to re-consider the delivery and positioning of rehabilitation between public and private contexts. In order to do so, considerations for perceptions of 'normal' body behaviours and the familiarities of how a garment and our identity impacts our being in the world are to be considered. The fellowship takes a highly multidisciplinary approach. It develops samples, conducts wearer tests and pre-analysis using design probe kits in collaboration with survivors and stakeholders, maps participants' existing behaviour with clothing, rehabilitation and levels of weakness with electrophysiological and material characterisation data. Independent reviews will document the impact of combining garments and 'medical devices', whilst body scanning and motion capture will be used to simulate effectiveness of textile structures prior to sampling.17 million incidences of strokes are reported worldwide per annum. This number is expected to rise by 123% in the next 20 years. Delivering effective treatments which are easy to use and appropriate to lifestyles is a top priority. The fellowship will establish a world-leading research lab, placing a focus on delivering impactful non-invasive neurological treatments in everyday garments.