FES Therapy:Restoring Voluntary Grasping Function in Chronic SCI

Summary

The main objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a new treatment regime that uses electrical stimulation for the improvement of hand function in persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI). This treatment has been shown to be useful for stroke patients, and our preliminary work indicates that this may also be the case with SCI patients. Our approach to functional electrical stimulation (FES) represents a departure from the established FES approaches, which involve developing assistive devices for permanent, everyday use. Instead, we use FES as a therapeutic intervention that will help individuals with quadriplegia recover voluntary grasping function. Investigators believe that subjects who undergo FES therapy should be able to grasp objects without stimulation once the treatment program is completed.

Conditions

• Spinal Cord Injuries

Interventions

DEVICE

FES Therapy

Treatment group received functional electrical stimulation and control group received conventional occupational therapy.

DEVICE

FES Therapy

Subjects will be divided into one of two groups: a) subjects that will be trained with neuroprosthesis for grasping and b) the control group. The control group will be administered standard occupational therapies appropriate for recovery of grasping function in SCI subjects. In group a), neuroprosthesis for grasping will be used to train subjects to reach, grasp and manipulate various objects in the activities of daily living.

OTHER

Conventional Occupational Therapy

The conventional therapy represents control activities against which FES therapy will be assessed. Conventional occupational therapy includes : a) muscle facilitation exercises emphasizing the neurodevelopmental treatment approach;b)task-specific repetitive functional training;c)strengthening and motor control training using resistance to available arm motion to increase strength; d)stretching exercises;e)electrical stimulation applied primarily for muscle strengthening (this is not FES); and f)activities of daily living including self care where the upper limb was used as an assist if appropriate; and caregiver training. Control and treatment group will have 3 sessions per week (business days only) for 13 to 16 weeks (40 treatment sessions in total). Each session will last 60 minutes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rick Hansen Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Milos R Popovic, Ph.d · Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2009-09-30

Primary Completion

2011-09-30

Completion

2011-09-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations