Restoring the Stepping-Like Movement in Spinal Rat by Electrical Micro-Stimulation of Motor Primitive Blocks

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 PhD Candidate, Iran Neural Technology Research Center AND Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor, Iran Neural Technology Research Center AND Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: During the last decade, intra-spinal micro-stimulation (ISMS) has been proposed as a potential technique for restoring the motor function in paralyzed limbs. It has been shown that there are functional networks of inter-neurons in the spinal cord (i.e., movement primitive block or motor module) that generate particular motor outputs by selecting specific patterns of muscles activation. In this paper, we investigated the possible activation of the motor module via intra-spinal micro-stimulation.Methods: The experiments were conducted on three adult female Wistar rats. A partial laminectomy was performed to expose at the T13-L4 level. The animals were positioned in a stereotaxic setup which allowed the hindlimbs to hang free while the head and spinal vertebrae (T12 and L5) were clamped rigidly to the frame. We developed custom made real-time software written in LabVIEW to estimate the joint angles. To stimulate the spinal cord, a computer-based sixteen-channel stimulator was used. The amplitude, pulse width and frequency of the stimulation signal could be varied online. Different positions within the spinal cord between the T13-L4 regions were stimulated and the joint angles were measured.Findings: Movement primitive blocks associated with stepping could be generated using ISMS. Recruitment curves of the motor primitive blocks showed liner relationship between stimulation signal and joint angles. By defining a specific pattern of motor primitives' activation, the locomotor-like stepping could be generated.Conclusion: The complex locomotor-like stepping can be generated by the combination of the motor primitives using ISMS. 

Keywords

References

  1. Crago PE, Lan N, Veltink PH, Abbas JJ, Kantor C. New control strategies for neuroprosthetic systems. J Rehabil Res Dev 1996; 33(2): 158-72.
  2. Yarkony GM, Roth EJ, Cybulski G, Jaeger RJ. Neuromuscular stimulation in spinal cord injury: I: Restoration of functional movement of the extremities. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1992; 73(1): 78-86.
  3. Popovic DB. Neural prostheses for movement restoration. In: Moore J, Zouridakis G, editors. Biomedical technology and devices Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2004.
  4. Kanchiku T, Lynskey JV, Protas D, Abbas JJ, Jung R. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation induced forelimb movement in a rodent model. J Neurosci Methods 2008; 167(2): 317-26.
  5. Ichihara K, Venkatasubramanian G, Abbas JJ, Jung R. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the hindlimb muscles for movement therapy in a rodent model. J Neurosci Methods 2009; 176(2): 213-24.
  6. Loeb GE. Learning from the spinal cord. J Physiol 2001; 533(Pt 1): 111-7.
  7. Cohen A, Boothe D. Sensorimotor interactions during locomotion: principles derived from biological systems. Autonomous Robots 1999; 7(3): 239-45.
  8. Rybak IA, Stecina K, Shevtsova NA, McCrea DA. Modelling spinal circuitry involved in locomotor pattern generation: insights from the effects of afferent stimulation. J Physiol 2006; 577(Pt 2): 641-58.
  9. Guevremont L, Renzi CG, Norton JA, Kowalczewski J, Saigal R, Mushahwar VK. Locomotor-related networks in the lumbosacral enlargement of the adult spinal cat: activation through intraspinal microstimulation. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2006; 14(3): 266-72.
  10. Tresch MC, Saltiel P, d'Avella A, Bizzi E. Coordination and localization in spinal motor systems. Brain Res Brain Res Rev 2002; 40(1-3): 66-79.
  11. Aoyagi Y, Mushahwar VK, Stein RB, Prochazka A. Movements elicited by electrical stimulation of muscles, nerves, intermediate spinal cord, and spinal roots in anesthetized and decerebrate cats. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2004; 12(1): 1-11.
  12. Bizzi E, Cheung VC, d'Avella A, Saltiel P, Tresch M. Combining modules for movement. Brain Res Rev 2008; 57(1): 125-33.
  13. Cheung VC, d'Avella A, Bizzi E. Adjustments of motor pattern for load compensation via modulated activations of muscle synergies during natural behaviors. J Neurophysiol 2009; 101(3): 1235-57.
  14. Hart CB, Giszter SF. A neural basis for motor primitives in the spinal cord. J Neurosci 2010; 30(4): 1322-36.
  15. Wolpert DM, Diedrichsen J, Flanagan JR. Principles of sensorimotor learning. Nat Rev Neurosci 2011; 12(12): 739-51.
  16. Kargo WJ, Ramakrishnan A, Hart CB, Rome LC, Giszter SF. A simple experimentally based model using proprioceptive regulation of motor primitives captures adjusted trajectory formation in spinal frogs. J Neurophysiol 2010; 103(1): 573-90.
  17. Tresch MC, Bizzi E. Responses to spinal microstimulation in the chronically spinalized rat and their relationship to spinal systems activated by low threshold cutaneous stimulation. Exp Brain Res 1999; 129(3): 401-16.
  18. Asadi AR, Erfanian A. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy sliding mode control of multi-joint movement using intraspinal microstimulation. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2012; 20(4): 499-509.
  19. Righetti L, Ijspeert AJ. Programmable central pattern generators: an application to biped locomotion control. Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation 2006; 2006 May 15-19; Orlando, FL, USA.
  20. Ijspeert AJ, Crespi A, Cabelguen JM. Simulation and robotics studies of salamander locomotion: applying neurobiological principles to the control of locomotion in robots. Neuroinformatics 2005; 3(3): 171-95.
  21. Giszter SF, Davies MR, Graziani V. Motor strategies used by rats spinalized at birth to maintain stance in response to imposed perturbations. J Neurophysiol 2007; 97(4): 2663-75.
  22. Kargo WJ, Giszter SF. Afferent roles in hindlimb wipe-reflex trajectories: free-limb kinematics and motor patterns. J Neurophysiol 2000; 83(3): 1480-501.
  23. Thota AK, Watson SC, Knapp E, Thompson B, Jung R. Neuromechanical control of locomotion in the rat. J Neurotrauma 2005; 22(4): 442-65.
Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 31, Issue 250 - Serial Number 250
July and August 2013
Pages 1324-1338

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 29 October 2012
  • Revise Date: 27 May 2024
  • Accept Date: 06 April 2022

Share

How to cite

Statistics