New Device Brings Higher Level Of Recovery Time in Movement For Stroke Patients

A new device based on a functional electrical stimulation system (FES) and a Brain Controlled Interface (BCI) called the Closed-Loop Neural Activity-Triggered Stroke Rehabilitation Device allows stroke patients to move otherwise paralyzed upper extremities, such as arms and hands, by converting their thoughts to electrical impulses to move these limbs.

The device works by interpreting the patients thoughts into a signal through the BCI and that the signal is sent to the FES which moves the targeted limb. The patient just has to think or imagine moving his hand and the device will send the proper signals to the hand to do so.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is cut off, depriving it of oxygen. When this happens, the brain starts deteriorating after a few minutes causing physical disability, depression, loss of motor skills, mood swings, loss of cognitive abilities (slow thinking, logic, familiarization), and even death.

Stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in the US with a person suffering from one every 40 seconds.

Ischemic strokes are the most popular type of stroke with 87% of all strokes being Ischemic in nature. An ischemic stroke happens when blood clots form in the arteries which blocks or restricts blood flow to the brain. The other type of stroke is a Hemorrhagic Stroke.

Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel bursts in the brain (similar to a brain aneurysm). 30% of stroke fatalities come from this type of stroke.

Acupuncture Achieving De Qi Improves Facial Muscle Recovery in Patients With Bell's Palsy

A randomized control trial of patients with Bell's palsy showed improved facial muscle recovery, reduced disability and better quality of life through acupuncture.

Bell's palsy is a form of paralysis that affects the facial nerves. The effect can last for a few weeks but can be permanent depending on the damage or trauma on the facial nerves.

Bell's palsy occurs when there is some disruption in the function of the facial nerves beneath the ear to the muscles on each side of the face. This disruption can interrupt signals from the brain to the facial muscles resulting in paralysis or weakness.

This condition is named after Sir Charles Bell, a Scottish surgeon who was the first to describe it in 1829.

Aside from medication and physical therapy, acupuncture is also used as a form of therapy in treating the condition.

Acupuncture and De Qi

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice of using needles inserted into specific acupuncture points in the skin. The belief is that these points, when stimulated by the needles can correct imbalances in the flow of energy or life force known as qi or chi through channels known as meridians. A more western approach to acupuncture is by viewing it as a way to stimulate the nerves, muscles, and tissue which increases blood flow and boosts activity of the body's natural control systems.

The goal of acupuncture, in traditional Chinese practice, is to achieve de qi which refers to a sensation of numbness, distension, or electrical tingling at the needling site which might radiate along the corresponding meridian.

Update On Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Through Robotics, Neurorehabilitation, and Electrical-Chemical Stimulation

An update on the research conducted last year on repairing spinal cord injury is set to be delivered at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston.

In the June 01 issue of Science, Grégoire Courtine, of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) published a report on how rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis managed to walk and even run again.

"After a couple of weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of a robotic harness and electrical-chemical stimulation, our rats are not only voluntarily initiating a walking gait, but they are soon sprinting, climbing up stairs and avoiding obstacles," explains Courtine, who holds the International Paraplegic Foundation (IRP) Chair in Spinal Cord Repair at EPF

Courtine used a cemical solution that triggers cell responses to specific receptors on the spinal neurons. This chemical, monoamine agonists, replaces neurotransmitters and acts to excite neurons. After the injection, the spinal cord is electrically stimulated with electrodes. The electrical stimulation sends continuous electrical signals through nerve fibers to the chemically excited neurons that control leg movement.

Every year, around 50,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries, most result in paralysis. This study may lead to effective treatments of these injuries and allow patients to walk again and even fully recover from it.

Neuroprosthetic Algorithm Leads To Better Thought Controlled Objects Such As Bionic Arms and Legs

Objects that can be moved simply by thinking about it is part of a branch of science called neuroprosthetics. A new algorithm called ReFIT, now improved the speed and accuracy of neuroprosthetic devices and can lead to the development of better bionic arms and legs.

The Motor system of the human body responsible for movement is controlled by the brain. Hand and body movements first come out as thought impulses that travel down the nervous system which in turn activates the specific muscles to initiate movement.

Basically, all movements by the body are thought controlled. Picking up a spoon, moving and clicking a computer mouse, or even typing on the keyboard are movements that primarily originate as thought patterns in the brain.

Walking Again After Spinal Cord Injury Through Neuroprosthetics and Robotics

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nerves, tissue, and cells that extends from the medulla oblongata. Along with the brain, it makes up the Central Nervous System (CNS).

It begins at the occipital bone and extends down to the space between the first and second lumbar vertebrae; it does not extend the entire length of the vertebral column. It is around 45 cm (18 in) in men and around 43 cm (17 in) long in women. The spinal cord ranges in varying thickness from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inches.

The primary function of the spinal cord is the transmission of neural signals between the brain and the rest of the body. It also contains neural circuits that can independently control numerous reflexes and central pattern generators.

The spinal cord has three major functions:

• Conduit for motor information which travels down the spinal cord
• Conduit for sensory information in the reverse direction
• Center for coordinating certain reflexes.

Any major damage to the spinal cord may result in death or paralysis.

Walking again after spinal cord injury

Rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis are now walking (and running) thanks to researchers at EPFL. Published in the June 1, 2012 issue of Science, the results show that a severed section of the spinal cord can make a comeback when its own innate intelligence and regenerative capacity—what lead author Grégoire Courtine of EPFL calls the "spinal brain"—is awakened. The study, begun five years ago at the University of Zurich, points to a profound change in our understanding of the central nervous system. It is yet unclear if similar rehabilitation techniques could work for humans, but the observed nerve growth hints at new methods for treating paralysis.