Restoration of arm function in people with high-level tetraplegia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Personalised approach to restoration of arm function in people with high-level tetraplegia
IRAS ID
241121
Contact name
Neil Postans
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
There are 40,000 people in the UK living with spinal cord injury, and a complete or incomplete tetraplegia (paralysis of the upper and lower limbs) accounts for just over half of these. This level of injury can be devastating for the individual due to loss of independence and an inability to participate in work and social activities. It can also lead to greatly increased care costs due to the need for full-time carers.
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used to activate paralysed muscles and restore movement after spinal cord injury and stroke. This technology involves the application of low-level electrical currents to the nerves and muscles to cause muscle contraction where the user’s ability to achieve that through voluntary means has been lost. Providing control of muscle contraction in a coordinated way can mean that users are able once again to produce functional movements in otherwise paralysed limbs.
Routine clinical use is limited to the prevention of drop foot in the lower limb following stroke and occasional therapeutic use in the hand and shoulder. Systems providing functional reach and grasp, however, have not achieved clinical or commercial success.This project aims to develop methods for personalising assistive technology to restore arm function in people with high-level spinal cord injury. We will use a combination of electrical stimulation to elicit forces in muscles no longer under voluntary control, and mobile arm supports to compensate for insufficient muscle force where necessary. We will use computational models specific to an individual's functional limitations to produce patient-specific interventions. The project will be in three phases: building a model to predict the effects of electrical stimulation on a paralysed arm with arm support, development of methodologies using this model to optimise the arm support and stimulation system, and testing of stimulation controllers designed using this approach.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NE/0323
Date of REC Opinion
22 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion