title: Neuroprosthetic technologies to augment the impact of neurorehabilitation after spinal cord injury.
abstract: Spinal cord injury leads to a range of disabilities, including limitations in locomotor activity, that seriously diminish the patients' autonomy and quality of life. Electrochemical neuromodulation therapies, robot-assisted rehabilitation and willpower-based training paradigms restored supraspinal control of locomotion in rodent models of severe spinal cord injury. This treatment promoted extensive and ubiquitous remodeling of spared circuits and residual neural pathways. In four chronic paraplegic individuals, electrical neuromodulation of the spinal cord resulted in the immediate recovery of voluntary leg movements, suggesting that the therapeutic concepts developed in rodent models may also apply to humans. Here, we briefly review previous work, summarize current developments, and highlight impediments to translate these interventions into medical practice to improve functional recovery of spinal-cord-injured individuals.
authors.affiliation: International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SV BMI UPCOURTINE, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: rubia.vandenbrand@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Rubia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van den Brand
authors.affiliation: International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SV BMI UPCOURTINE, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mignardot
authors.affiliation: International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SV BMI UPCOURTINE, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von Zitzewitz
authors.affiliation: International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SV BMI UPCOURTINE, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Goff
authors.affiliation: International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SV BMI UPCOURTINE, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fumeaux
authors.affiliation: International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SV BMI UPCOURTINE, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Bioengineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capogrosso
authors.affiliation: Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Bioengineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martin Moraud
authors.affiliation: Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Bioengineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silvestro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Micera
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schurch
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curt
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carda
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jocelyne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.affiliation: International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SV BMI UPCOURTINE, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Grégoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Courtine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D006801:Humans; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Electrical neuromodulation; Electrochemical neuromodulation; Neuroprosthetic technologies; Neurorehabilitation; Spinal cord injury; Translational research