Surface EEG-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Closed-Loop System.

Conventional transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) protocols rely on applying electrical current at a fixed intensity and duration without using surrogate markers to direct the interventions. This has led to some mixed results; especially because tDCS induced effects may vary depending on the ongoing level of brain activity. Therefore, the objective of this preliminary study was to assess the feasibility of an EEG-triggered tDCS system based on EEG online analysis of its frequency bands.

Higher-order power harmonics of pulsed electrical stimulation modulates corticospinal contribution of peripheral nerve stimulation.

It is well established that electrical-stimulation frequency is crucial to determining the scale of induced neuromodulation, particularly when attempting to modulate corticospinal excitability. However, the modulatory effects of stimulation frequency are not only determined by its absolute value but also by other parameters such as power at harmonics. The stimulus pulse shape further influences parameters such as excitation threshold and fiber selectivity.

Contribution of Corticospinal Modulation and Total Electrical Energy for Peripheral-Nerve-Stimulation-Induced Neuroplasticity as Indexed by Additional Muscular Force.

Background: Protocols to induce motor related neuroplasticity are usually directed to central neural structures such as the motor cortex or the spinal cord.

Objective: Herein, we aimed to evaluate the effects of peripheral nerve stimulation using a current intensity (stimulation intensity) approach to understand the contribution of the corticospinal system and total energy to electrically-induced neuroplasticity.

Methods: Electrical stimulation trains of lower intensity, interlaced with 2-s bursts of higher intensity, were applied to anesthetized rabbits.

Comparison of the Effects of Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Upper Extremity Functions in Patients with Stroke.

Background: Contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES) is an innovative method to improve upper extremity functions after stroke.

Objective: To compare the effects of CCFES versus neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the upper extremity functions in patients with stroke.

Methods: Sixty patients with stroke were randomly assigned into CCFES group (n=30) or NMES group (n=30).

5 Hz Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Maximum Voluntary Muscle Contraction Facilitates Cerebral Cortex Excitability of Normal Subjects.

Background: Recently, high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is reported to evaluating the corticospinal pathway and improving both cortical excitability and motor function significantly in subjects. According to some previous reports, the maximum voluntary muscle contraction (MVC) of target muscle can reinforce the influence by rTMS. The aim of this study was to confirm 5 Hz rTMS with MVC in healthy individuals is an effective method to facilitate motor neuron excitability and the efficiency can last at least 30 min post stimulation.

Reducing anterior tibial translation by applying functional electrical stimulation in dynamic knee extension exercises: quantitative results acquired via marker tracking.

Background: Pain that accompanies anterior cruciate ligament deficiency during dynamic knee extension exercises is usually caused by excessive anterior tibial translation, which can be restricted if the anterior cruciate ligament was intact.

Methods: A functional electrical stimulator is incorporated with a training device to induce hamstring contractions during certain degrees of knee extension to replicate effects similar to those generated by an intact anterior cruciate ligament and to reduce anterior tibial translation. By using a camera that tracks markers placed on bony prominences of the femur and tibia, the anterior tibial translations corresponding to various settings were determined by customized image processing procedures.

Pulse energy as a reliable reference for twitch forces induced by transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation.

Voltage-controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation has been considered to be safer in noninvasive applications notwithstanding the fact that voltage-controlled devices purportedly generate forces less predictable than their current-controlled equivalents. This prompted us to evaluate relevant electrical parameters to determine whether forces induced by voltage-controlled stimuli were able to match to those induced by current-controlled ones, which tend to evoke forces that were more predictable. Force magnitudes corresponding to current- and voltage-controlled stimuli were aligned with respect to electric charge (equivalent to average current intensity) and electrical energy (equivalent to average power) of the same stimulation pulse to determine which provided a better coherence.

Safety measures implemented for modular functioning electrical stimulators.

The modular architecture allows for greater flexibility in the building of neural prostheses with a variety of channels but may result in unpredictable accidents under circumstances such as sensor displacements, improper coordination of the connected modules and malfunction of any individual module. A novel fail-safe interface is offered as a solution that puts in place the necessary safety measures when building a module based functional electrical stimulator. By using a single reference line in the interconnecting bus of the modules, various commands would immediately be directed to each module so that proper actions may be taken.

A pelvic motion driven electrical stimulator for drop-foot treatment.

Foot switches operating with force sensitive resistors placed in the shoe sole were considered as an effective way for driving FES assisted walking systems in gait restoration. However, the reliability and durability of the foot switches run down after a certain number of steps. As an alternative for foot switches, a simple, portable, and easy to handle motion driven electrical stimulator (ES) is provided for drop foot treatment.

Monitoring and Transmission via Wireless Network for an Assistive Device.

Owing to the increasing number of disabled individuals, technical aids are acting more aggressively in the era of modern medicine. The M3S (Multiple Master Multiple Slave) system developed for the physically challenged, utilizes intelligent transmission and integration mechanisms to arrange all hooked-up devices with proper control. To overcome certain limitations of the system (e.

Safety assurance of assistive devices based on a two-level checking scheme.

The increasing number of physically challenged individuals has boosted the demand of powered wheelchairs. This paper is on the subject of a DSP (Digital Signal Processors) based assistive system, which is associated with a two-level checking scheme. The assistive system takes on the M3S (Multiple Master Multiple Slave) regulation for the assurance of safety.

A generic input device for the multiple master multiple slave system.

The growing demand for input devices designed for the severely handicapped led to development of modular features for the open architecture multiple master multiple slave (M3S) system. With its central safety monitor, M3S allows individuals suffering from cerebral palsy, paraplegia, or multiple sclerosis, and other physically debilitating illnesses greater autonomy by allowing them to access a wide range of input devices tailored to a specific user, e.g.

Use of M3S for mobile/local controls over a remote/fixed environment.

The M3S (Multiple Master Multiple Slave) is an intelligent transmission system for the disabled. This integrated system combines technical aids for mobility, manipulation, environment control and communication. However, signals must be transmitted by a RF (Radio Frequency) module to overcome critical limitations of the CAN Bus (e.