IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Sep 2003
Comparative StudyComparison of joint torque evoked with monopolar and tripolar-cuff electrodes.
Using a self-sizing spiral-cuff electrode placed on the sciatic nerve of the cat, the joint torque evoked with stimulation applied to contacts in a monopolar configuration was judged to be the same as the torque evoked by stimulation applied to contacts in a tripolar configuration. Experiments were carried out in six acute cat preparations. In each experiment, a 12-contact electrode was placed on the sciatic nerve and used to effect both the monopolar and tripolar electrode configurations. ⋯ These results indicate that a four contact, monopolar nerve-cuff electrode is a viable substitute for a 12 contact, tripolar nerve-cuff electrode. The results of this study are also consistent with the hypothesis that multicontact self-sizing spiral-cuff electrodes can be used in motor prostheses to provide selective control of many muscles. These findings should also apply to other neuroprostheses employing-cuff electrodes on nerve trunks.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Sep 2003
Clinical TrialInfluence of different stimulation frequencies on power output and fatigue during FES-cycling in recently injured SCI people.
This study investigated whether power output during 30 min sessions of functional electrical stimulation (FES)-cycling can be increased by using stimulation frequencies higher than 30 Hz. The stimulation frequencies of FES-cycling training sessions of 19 recently injured para- and tetraplegics were randomly set at 30, 50, or 60 Hz and power output (PO) was measured continually. ⋯ A 19% and 25% higher mean PO was reached at 50 and 60 Hz, respectively, compared to 30 Hz. The PO of the last minute of each session was almost always higher than the mean PO of the whole session and also higher at higher frequencies, which indicates that no muscle fatigue could be detected in 30 min FES-cycling at any of the tested frequencies.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Sep 2003
Comparative StudyPrevention of muscle disuse atrophy by low-frequency electrical stimulation in rats.
When muscles lose neural drive, they atrophy rapidly. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMS) has been used in attempts to prevent or reverse the atrophy, but optimal stimulation programs and parameters are not well defined. In this study, we investigated the effects of four different stimulation patterns on disuse atrophy produced in the tibialis anterior, lateral gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles of rats paralyzed with tetrodotoxin for seven days. ⋯ The level of atrophic change was not correlated with the levels of serum creatine kinase, used as an index of muscle damage. Results suggest that remediation of disuse atrophy may be accomplished using unphysiologically low rates of motor-unit activation despite the relatively low force produced by such unfused contractions. This may have significant implications for the design of therapies for muscle paralysis consequent to upper-motoneuron lesions.