High Density Spinal Epidural Electrode Arrays to Facilitate Stepping after SCI

This is the public information page for the BioEngineering Resource Program (BRP) entitled Spinal Epidural Electrode Array to Facilitate Stepping after SCI sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC). This page also contains (password protected) links to project pages and project data sets used by the project participants.

We are very grateful to the National Institutes of Health and TATRC for their support of this work. However, the views and/or opinions expressed by the authors of this web site do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Institutes of Health, TATRC, or the U.S. government.

Goals of This Project

• To develop a new class of high density epidural spinal stimulation electrodes.
  • Develop novel designs and fabrication techniques for Parylene/Platinum high density arrays.
  • Determine the optimal stimulation patterns to facilitate post-sci stepping via the use of high density epidural stimulation.
  • Develop surgical techniques to provide stable chronic implantation of the arrays in the lumbosacral spinal cord.
• To develop better understanding of the mechanisms behind the recovery of locomotion via epidural stimulation
  • Develop complex 3-dimensional simulations of the action
• To test the ability of high density epidural stimulation, coupled with pharmacological and physical therapy, to aid in the recovery of stepping after complete Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in a rat animal model.
• To determine if high density epidural stimulation can facilitate stepping in humans with severe/complete SCI.
• See Abstract this link for an abstract and the specific aims of this research program.

People/Contacts

• This BRP involves researchers from Baylor Univ., Caltech, UCLA, Univ. Louisville, and Univ. of Vienna. Click on the heading for a list of participants and their contact information

PassWord Protected Project Pages

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