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 · Dec 2010
Stimulation of the human lumbar spinal cord with implanted and surface electrodes: a computer simulation study.
Human lumbar spinal cord networks controlling stepping and standing can be activated through posterior root stimulation using implanted electrodes. A new stimulation method utilizing surface electrodes has been shown to excite lumbar posterior root fibers similarly as with implants, an unexpected finding considering the distance to these target neurons. In the present study we apply computer modeling to compare the depolarization of posterior root fibers by both stimulation techniques. ⋯ In these exit regions anterior root fibers can also be activated. The simulation results provide a biophysical explanation for the electrophysiological findings of lower limb muscle responses induced by posterior root stimulation. Efficient excitation of afferent spinal cord structures with a simple noninvasive method can become a promising modality in the rehabilitation of people with motor disorders.