TY - JOUR
T1 - Restoration of Over-Ground Walking via Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Therapy: A Single-Case Study
AU - Alam, Monzurul
AU - Ling, Yan To
AU - Rahman, Md Akhlasur
AU - Wong, Arnold Yu Lok
AU - Zhong, Hui
AU - Edgerton, V. Reggie
AU - Zheng, Yong Ping
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/11/28
Y1 - 2023/11/28
N2 - Spinal cord injuries (SCI) can result in sensory and motor dysfunctions, which were long considered permanent. Recent advancement in electrical neuromodulation has been proven to restore sensorimotor function in people with SCI. These stimulation protocols, however, were mostly invasive, expensive, and difficult to implement. In this study, transcutaneous electrical stimulation (tES) was used to restore over-ground walking of an individual with 21 years of chronic paralysis from a cervical SCI. After a total of 66 weeks of rehabilitation training with tES, which included standing, functional reaching, reclined sit-up, treadmill walking, and active biking, significant improvement in lower-limb volitional movements and overall light touch sensation were shown as measured by the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) score. By the end of the study, the participant could walk in a 4-m walking test with the aid of a walking frame and ankle–foot orthoses. The successful sensorimotor recovery of our study participant sheds light on the future of non-invasive neuromodulation treatment for SCI paralysis.
AB - Spinal cord injuries (SCI) can result in sensory and motor dysfunctions, which were long considered permanent. Recent advancement in electrical neuromodulation has been proven to restore sensorimotor function in people with SCI. These stimulation protocols, however, were mostly invasive, expensive, and difficult to implement. In this study, transcutaneous electrical stimulation (tES) was used to restore over-ground walking of an individual with 21 years of chronic paralysis from a cervical SCI. After a total of 66 weeks of rehabilitation training with tES, which included standing, functional reaching, reclined sit-up, treadmill walking, and active biking, significant improvement in lower-limb volitional movements and overall light touch sensation were shown as measured by the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) score. By the end of the study, the participant could walk in a 4-m walking test with the aid of a walking frame and ankle–foot orthoses. The successful sensorimotor recovery of our study participant sheds light on the future of non-invasive neuromodulation treatment for SCI paralysis.
KW - chronic spinal cord injury
KW - neuromodulation
KW - over-ground walking
KW - sensorimotor rehabilitation
KW - transcutaneous electrical stimulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85179330150&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/jcm12237362
DO - 10.3390/jcm12237362
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85179330150
SN - 2077-0383
VL - 12
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
JF - Journal of Clinical Medicine
IS - 23
M1 - 7362
ER -