An Active Learning Algorithm for Control of Epidural Electrostimulation.

Epidural electrostimulation has shown promise for spinal cord injury therapy. However, finding effective stimuli on the multi-electrode stimulating arrays employed requires a laborious manual search of a vast space for each patient. Widespread clinical application of these techniques would be greatly facilitated by an autonomous, algorithmic system which choses stimuli to simultaneously deliver effective therapy and explore this space.

Development of a multi-electrode array for spinal cord epidural stimulation to facilitate stepping and standing after a complete spinal cord injury in adult rats.

Background: Stimulation of the spinal cord has been shown to have great potential for improving function after motor deficits caused by injury or pathological conditions. Using a wide range of animal models, many studies have shown that stimulation applied to the neural networks intrinsic to the spinal cord can result in a dramatic improvement of motor ability, even allowing an animal to step and stand after a complete spinal cord transection. Clinical use of this technology, however, has been slow to develop due to the invasive nature of the implantation procedures, the lack of versatility in conventional stimulation technology, and the difficulty of ascertaining specific sites of stimulation that would provide optimal amelioration of the motor deficits.

A PARYLENE-BASED MICROELECTRODE ARRAY IMPLANT FOR SPINAL CORD STIMULATION IN RATS.

The design and fabrication of an epidural spinal cord implant using a parylene-based microelectrode array is presented. Rats with hindlimb paralysis from a complete spinal cord transection were implanted with the device and studied for up to eight weeks, where we have demonstrated recovery of hindlimb stepping functionality through pulsed stimulation. The microelectrode array allows for a high degree of freedom and specificity in selecting the site of stimulation compared to wire-based implants, and triggers varied biological responses that can lead to an increased understanding of the spinal cord and locomotion recovery for victims of spinal cord injury.