Publications by authors named "Yu-Kuang Wu"
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is an emerging therapeutic strategy to target spinal autonomic circuitry to normalize and stabilize blood pressure (BP) in hypotensive persons living with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Our aim is to describe our current methodological approach to identify individual tSCS parameters that result in the maintenance of seated systolic blood pressure (SBP) within a pre-defined target range. The parent study is a prospective, randomized clinical trial in which eligible participants will undergo multiple mapping sessions to optimize tSCS parameter settings to promote stable SBP within a target range of 110-120 mm Hg for males and 100-120 mm Hg for females.
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- - Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a technique involving temporary blood flow restriction to one limb, which may provide protective effects across the body and has potential benefits for conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
- - Recent studies suggest that RIC, when paired with motor training, might improve motor learning and increase brain activity related to movement, particularly in individuals with spinal cord injuries or conditions like ALS.
- - RIC is a cost-effective and easy-to-administer method that could enhance rehabilitation for people with chronic neurological issues, although more research is needed to fully understand how it works and its overall effectiveness.
: Most spinal cord injuries (SCI) are not full transections, indicating that residual nerve circuits are retained. Rehabilitation interventions have been shown to beneficially reorganize motor pathways in the brain, corticospinal tract, and at the spinal level. However, rehabilitation training require a large number of repetitions, and intervention effects may be absent or show transient retention.
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- Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) shows promise in improving motor and autonomic function in the spinal cord, specifically for hand movements.
- A new setup for cervical TSCS was tested where electrodes are placed at different cervical and thoracic levels, and its effects were measured when paired with motor cortex or median nerve stimulation.
- Results indicated that TSCS can enhance hand muscle responses to motor cortex stimulation, particularly when the stimulation is closely timed, suggesting a potential method for improving hand function in individuals with spinal cord injuries, though further research is needed with more participants.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Objectives: We aim to better understand the silent period (SP), an inhibitory counterpart to the well-known motor evoked potential (MEP) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Setting: Veterans Affairs Hospital in New York.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates a non-invasive method called cervical transcutaneous spinal stimulation (cTSS) to activate neural circuits in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
- Researchers applied cTSS using electrodes placed at specific cervical and thoracic levels, measuring muscle responses and ensuring participant safety throughout more than 170 sessions.
- Results showed that the stimulation effectively activated upper extremity muscles with optimal conditions identified, suggesting cTSS could improve motor function in affected individuals.
Objectives: To investigate correlations between power seat functions (PSFs) usage and wheelchair discomfort.
Design: Quasi-experimental design: Time series design.
Setting: In-home trial in participants' home/community.
The aim of the smartphone virtual seating coach (SVSC) was to provide a personalized reminder/warning system to encourage powered wheelchair users to use their powered seating functions (PSFs) as clinically recommended. This study evaluated the usability of the SVSC system by gathering feedback from five powered wheelchair users and five rehabilitation professionals through questionnaires and interviews. The results indicated that clear and understandable instructions to adjust the PSFs are the most important requirement for SVSC application.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to analyse the force output of handle and pedal as well as the electromyography (EMG) of lower extremity in different cycling postures. Bilateral pedalling asymmetry indices of force and EMG were also determined in this study. Twelve healthy cyclists were recruited for this study and tested for force output and EMG during steady state cycling adopting different pedalling and handle bar postures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Design: Controlled laboratory study.
Objectives: To compare the neuromuscular function of the triceps surae muscle bilaterally in elite athletes with unilateral chronic Achilles tendinopathy.
Background: Previous studies suggest that tendinopathies or chronic pain may lead to a spinal/supraspinal level modulation of the excitability or voluntary activation of ipsilateral motor units.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether changes of fascicle curvature and muscle hardness of the gastrocnemius muscle during relaxation and isometric contraction could be measured using a noninvasive approach. Seventeen male college students (age 21.0+/-1.
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